Aperture Science
by vinterse
Summary: He wasn't always afraid of Digimon. Once he had a research assistant of his own, and embarked on his own adventure, involving Demon Lords, vampires, scientists and spies. An expedition led by Kurata and partner Belphemon. Some AKOC. Redemption? Not quite.
1. Chapter 1

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Hi... The first three chapters (Part I) serve as a bit of a prologue. Feel free to skip them, all they do is introduce an OC and provide some fun filler.

I am of the strong opinion that monsters are not born, they're made. I wanted to give the professor some vestige of justification. But he manipulated me halfway through the story, as he is apt to do, and instead of killing off the original character I'd introduced for that purpose, I kept her around and altered the plotline instead. Please review if you're intrigued by a homicidal mad scientist. I ought to give credit where it's due, I suppose - Devkyu. Now if only I could contact said brilliant artist to read her work...

Warning: this reads like an episode. with typos. backstories are invented and some poorly. Merin is mine and not to be exploited unless it's tastefully so and with my permission.

The story begins ten years ago, when Doctor Daimon Suguru cancels the lectures he planned to give at Salzburg to attend to a crisis in Japan, and sends his assistant to lecture in his place...

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Part I, Chapter 1

Professor Kurata pushed the glasses higher up the bridge of his nose and gave an impatient sigh. The new PA to assist him as guest lecturer was late with the required notes and class was as boisterous and uncooperative as any at the University of Salzburg. And here he was, filling in at Daimon's bidding.

"Attention, Biochem!" he drawled, and his voice echoed through the cavernous lecture hall. Gradually the room fell silent, and the Professor retreated to his laid back slouch.

"Yare yare… We can begin on time. Your Organic Chemistry theories are due for your Professor Wegner's review. If you missed the last lecture, there will only be two more. As I'm sure you all read, biological engineering has progressed immensely in the past six years," he raised his chalk to the board and wrote as he spoke, the students taking note on cue. "The Human Genome Project, has, as the name implies, mapped our DNA to the last nucleotide base. Can anyone name the venerable scientists who beat our countries in this endeavor? No? No one? How disappointing. Patrinos and Collins of the USA led the project… with Japanese assistance…"

The lecture progressed smoothly for an hour before the door opened and the PA slipped in. Kurata never paused nor glanced at the offending novice as she handed him the flashdrive and he set up the powerpoint for the students on the large projector. Only when the show was playing did he dignify the PA with a derisive glance from above his glasses, which glimmered sinisterly in the half-dark.

"You can leave whenever you like," he told the class casually, leaning against the door. The room rose to their feet. "However if you wish to pass your final, your Professor suggested you may wish to watch the presentation. Don't forget those papers, on his desk." He smiled at the collective groans and swept out, the PA on his heels.

"I apologize for my lateness, Professor, and I assure you that it won't happen again."

Kurata paused in his walk and turned in slight irritation tingeing on curiosity, head cocked faintly to the side. "You must be…"

"Shiori Merin," said Merin, nodding her head. Her disheveled brown hair bounced in waves around her shoulders but her grey eyes were clear.

"Shiori, ah yes. You are Japanese?"

"My father," said Merin, withdrawing a pen from behind her ear and tucking it self-consciously into her lab-coat pocket. The long white labcoat covered her jeans and blouse, both black, and the hem was stained with blue copper ions. "My parents lived in Odaiba."

"Oh? Why aren't you attending the Institute there with them?" They were strolling down the corridors toward the labs, now, and Kurata was completely nonchalant.

"Ah, well, our home was destroyed in the gas leak three years ago. Actually, the news never decided whether it was a terrorist attack or an accident. Ironically enough," she scoffed, and Kurata looked relieved that he wasn't expected to sympathize.

"I'm dreadfully sorry," he said, voice holding a hint of condescension.

"Not at all. But I really do owe you an explanation, professor, for why I was audaciously late my first day. I hope you'll let me show you what kept me. I think you'll find it to your liking."

Whereas prior Kurata hadn't spared more than a glance at Merin, he turned his half-lidded eyes toward her now, eyebrows raised.

"Just through here," Merin opened the door to the restricted labs, withdrawing a keycard from her labcoat, and holding the door for the Professor.

Kurata slouched first into the semi-darkness. Beneath a red light, several modified petri dishes were hooked up to a microscope and computer, the screen buzzing and flooded with data, taking down fluctuating graphs and tables faster than the eye could see.

"My thesis," whispered Merin from behind him, red light reflected in her grey eyes, "On the existence of digital matter. As I believe you also specialize in this field with Mr. Daimon, who I hear is fonder of fieldwork and less tolerant of the impressive calculations he employs you to do, you may enjoy this breakthrough…"

Merin was speaking hurriedly and Kurata got the impression that there was little that evoked passionate ranting in his aloof assistant. He bowed his head, glasses flashing, and gave a little gasp.

"That's right – after three years I've found the wavelength necessary to define these particles… but the data…" Merin turned to the computer, frowning.

But Kurata was smiling widely, lips twisting, and then he was laughing, loud and almost maniacal.

"Professor?"

His chuckling fit died down, but his grin remained. Pushing his glasses up his nose, Kurata smirked at Merin. "This is another puzzle piece to Daimon's theory! And you, an amateur, hah! You uncovered it before him – you're absolutely correct!"

"I'm glad you think so, Professor, but Mr. Daimon has yet to publish his theories so I'm not entirely with you. However, you were the one who inspired me with your lecture on particle acceleration in physics back in Japan. Part of the credit belongs to you."

Kurata glanced up from the computer screen. "Yes, this is excellent… It does, does it now. I'll show Daimon."

He ran his hands over the microscope, knelt to the eyepiece, and his muttering grew quiet. Merin backed out slowly, careful not to cause an air current through the double doors, and left the Professor to his muttering.

Her graduate study at Salzburg had barely lasted a year. She had very few friends back in Japan. But somehow, despite all rationale and reason, she missed her home, had been missing her home since she'd first arrived, and had made up her mind before she'd been assigned PA. With these thoughts in mind she headed to her supervisor, head of the Biology Research Department, and was bid to enter a spacious office.

"Ah, Shiori, sit down," said Doctor Lansteiner, Austrian accent lacing his English. The Institute taught science classes in English based on policy, and while Merin Shiori was bilingual and fluent in both English and Japanese, her ignorance of German was a real nuisance here.

"Hello Doctor," said Merin dutifully, inclining her head. For the second time that day, she realized she had not removed her lab coat upon leaving the premises.

"Was today your first day as assistant to Professor Kurata? How did it go?" asked Lansteiner amiably, leaning forward on his elbows over the myriad of paperwork littering his wide desk.

"Oh, the Professor was very obliging. I ran late experimenting but I showed him my breakthrough and he seemed content. I can't confirm any studies yet, but when I repeat the experiment you'll be the first to know, Doctor."

"Excellent, you've progressed on your research as I knew you would. Tell me, what do you think of the new Professor?"

Merin looked puzzled. "Well, he's only a guest lecturer, and only because Mr. Daimon got called back to Japan. And he's the same age as the students!"

Lansteiner actually chuckled. "Professor Kurata is two years older than you, Shiori, and you graduated last year and have progressed immensely since. I paired you together because I knew his father. Unethical, but completely brilliant. He's the reason Daimon took the younger Kurata under his wing. But the son is not as arrogant as his father became – yet."

"Oh," said Merin blankly. "I thought you paired us because we're both Japanese."

"Common ground," nodded Lansteiner. "But that's not why you're here now, Shiori. You wish to go back, do you not? Ah, you look surprised. Don't be – I knew you'd ache to leave as soon as you arrived with that fire burning in your eyes and your hands itching to use our equipment. Now your theory is complete you must return to Japan and test it out, yes?"

Merin only nodded, swallowing dryly. She'd grown to know Lansteiner over the past year, and hearing him confirm her own wishes was disconcerting and stirred a deep regret in her.

"Then let us agree on this," Lansteiner leaned back in his chair again, smiling sadly now. "You will finish out your studies here in the next week, helping Professor Kurata with his lectures and seminars, and I will see about my contacts with Mr. Daimon's team back in Japan. But this is on the condition that you don't do fieldwork or human experimentation. Ah, I know your ethics are honest, but Shiori you have not seen how science and ambition can corrupt. On this condition do we agree?"

"I-yes. Yes, doctor Lansteiner, I agree. That would be-"

"Marvelous, then. Now tell me about this breakthrough of yours," Lansteiner grinned enthusiastically, and Merin began a stumbling and excited explanation.

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True to her word, Merin arrived early for the next lecture, which progressed smoothly. Only on the third and final lecture did Kurata grace her with a smile which surprised and seemed to please her. She handed him the graded theories and stationed herself aside his desk for the remainder of the lecture, following his pacing and gesturing with her eyes.

"Are you conducting further research?" asked Kurata when the class had filed out and Merin was packing up their latest essays to take to Wegner.

"I'm attending the lecture at the Center of Applied Molecular Engineering today, but I'll certainly be in the labs tomorrow," said Merin. She hesitated.

"Lansteiner is even going to give a short discourse. That's rare for a professor emeritus in his position. Are you attending Professor?"

"I'm afraid I don't know my way around campus terribly well," said Kurata lazily, watching Merin with curiosity.

"Well, if you were inclined to attend any number of the staff would assist you. If you change your mind I'll be in the library. Professor."

Kurata did find her in the library later, lab coat folded haphazardly over a chair, leafing through four different texts to cross-reference some obscure phenomenon.

"Professor, you decided to come."

Kurata was wearing a dark brown fitted jacket in a classical take on the Professor look, but it was a startling difference from his usual labcoat, complemented his hair, and made him appear older.

"You do realize I'm not actually your Professor?" said Kurata, eyebrows raised. "And in Japan I'm a humble researcher like yourself, Merin."

Merin hastily stacked her books before replying distractedly, "Yare… let's go." Kurata helped her with her labcoat with a slightly sardonic smile and Merin thanked him before they left the library.

Merin led Kurata outside into the courtyard. The trees were splattered with oranges, reds, yellow and purple leaves scattered across the bike paths. The architecture was beautiful, too. Merin indicated the building they were approaching, explaining the university stigmas and history associated with the particular lecture hall.

The actual lecture lasted late. Kurata had chosen a seat near the back of the hall with the rest of the Professors attending, leaving Merin to sit with a violet-haired PA called Anelie who nattered ceaselessly until, during a change in lecturers, Merin moved several seats away and began to read Lansteiner's notes over his shoulder. At one point he gave her a knowing smile.

Kurata, she noticed on glancing back, was not particularly liked by all the old, grey-haired Professors. They seemed to be shooting his curly head the looks they reserved for particularly insubordinate students. Perhaps it was the age difference…

Merin was just leaning low over the desk and taking notes when a sun glare fell across her notepad. Impossible, though, since it was dark out… Kurata had settled comfortably next to her, given a large yawn, and glanced at her notes sending the lamplight glancing off his glasses. The rest of the lecture was spent in better company, Merin occasionally scribbling and Anelie eyeing Kurata on his other side while Lansteiner gave an enlightening presentation.

"Now I'd like to conclude this lecture by recognizing a graduate who has, in just about eleven months, pulled off an experiment that will further our forays into the computer world, literally, and the professor whose team is working tirelessly on further breakthroughs. Congratulations to Merin Shiori and to Professor Kurata."

Kurata languidly stood up and noting Merin's flushed face, tugged her up too. There was polite applause from the other PA's, a few loud whistles from the undergraduates who had snuck in and had Merin help them in the lab, and a good cheer from the Professors who only now seemed to forgive youth in the face of accomplishment.

The crowd of Professors left after some hand-shaking and Merin trailed out last, having packed all her notes into her labcoat pockets. Outside Lansteiner was smoking cigarettes with his older associates and addressing Kurata, who looked intimidated. Merin approached them.

"..exactly your research methods?" one tall, middle-aged Professor was enquiring rather pretentiously of Kurata, leaning forward. Kurata, whose back was to the wall, shifted his weight further back.

"Well, their study is not yet published so we can't really know any of their secrets," said Merin. The Professor glared at her for interrupting. "On another topic your essays are graded Professor Wegner…" said Merin smoothly.

"Then perhaps you can get busy with the organic chemistry essays on my desk," said Wegner, before walking off in a group of scholarly and rather conceited colleagues.

"How exactly would one compose an essay about organic chemistry?" asked Lansteiner, who'd been observing the exchange. "The class is based on memorization and patterns," he stroked his bushy mustache and retreated inside again.

"I'm sorry about Wegner," Merin addressed Kurata, walking toward the main building where she knew he wouldn't get lost. "Everyone else here respects you and your team."

Kurata's lips twisted at the mention of _his_ team. "I've been demoted to assistant so it's hardly my team," he said with some resentment.

"Demoted? Doesn't Mr. Daimon realize the potential of your theories?" Merin asked, astounded, grey eyes wide. "I mean, I can't claim to be an expert but I've read all of your journals and your work is the most promising out there. Daimon seems far less concerned with the consequences of his experiments and more with field work. Your works are far more insightful, Professor."

Kurata chuckled lightly, but there was a darker undertone to his laughter. "I've told you before, I'm hardly your Professor, Merin. Call me Kurata."

Merin glanced down at her boots. They continued making their leisurely way across the campus grounds, passing a main courtyard where the cold autumnal wind picked up and sent a tornado of leaves swirling into the air. Kurata, who'd been yawning, spluttered and spit out a fragment and Merin disguised her snicker with a cough.

"Now that my theory's been confirmed, I intend to go to Japan," she said suddenly, "Doctor Lansteiner is going to call Daimon and establish some contacts. But from what you've told me, I'm not sure I wish to work for him."

"Don't be foolish. You need the equipment at the disposal of his team. Why do you think I'm working with him? Your place is obviously there now."

"Pro-I mean," Merin swallowed. "Kurata. I think I will apply to work not under Daimon, but with your branch of the team, and only if you could use my skills in research."

Kurata actually stopped and looked incredulously as Merin. "Why are you even asking me when you've just made the biggest breakthrough of the last several years? Of course Daimon will be clamoring to have you on board."

"I'm not asking Daimon," insisted Merin.

And then Kurata's demeanor changed. He seemed to relax, slouch back and then he smiled that contagious smile of his. He stretched out a hand and casually picked a stray leaf out of her hair.

"I think I could find a use for you, Merin."

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It was curious how Kurata had walked off, knowing his way around campus perfectly all of the sudden. Tired herself, Merin headed to grade the essays Wegner had instructed her on, yawning.

Although she was completing her own graduate study on campus, Merin was still required to help any Professor or PA in her field.

Thus it was after an exhausting night of grading organic chemistry essays that she returned to the lab in hopes of conducting some tests, and stumbled upon her least favorite resident of campus.

"Merri! Why don't you come here."

"Anelie. My name is Merin." Merin's greeting was completely devoid of emotion.

"Lansteiner assigned you to that Japanese lecturer, didn't he?" asked Anelie, turning around and swishing her long violet tresses across Merin's face. A trail of perfume that followed made Merin sneeze. Fixing her pink, rabbit-like eyes on Merin, Anelie smiled sweetly. "I got assigned that idiotic Wegner – he's at least fifty and blind as a bat to my charm! But that Japanese Professor, Kurata or what's his name, now he's a looker. Just get rid of those annoying glasses and take off the lab coat… you're so lucky you sat next to him!"

Merin shook her head and turned to leave, but Anelie grabbed her arm. "Hey, wait! I need your help with this!"

"What, more gossip? I've been up all night and it's nearly breakfast time, Anelie."

"No, no! I'm trying to recalibrate the particle accelerator. I bumped into that cute Professor earlier this morning and asked him to check my experiment set up."

"Perhaps you ought to have thought ahead then, instead of setting yourself up for failure," said Merin coldly. She rubbed the dark circles under her eyes, which only accentuated her pallor. Something about Anelie was frustrating her far more than usual today. But Anelie looked genuinely hurt.

"Oh, just wait. Of course this is all wrong, you tried to insert the cord into the wrong… oh, no you didn't…" Anelie simpered at Merin's muttering. "This is going to take some time to fix."

"I'll just get you a cup of coffee then!" said Anelie, and pranced out. Merin shook her head, then steadied herself on the lab counter from the bout of dizziness that followed. It was awfully quiet… and then she realized the fume hood and ventilation had been shafted off. Anelie had unplugged the vents when trying to power her accelerator. Swearing, Merin tinkered with the machine and switched it on.

Taking far longer than it was supposed to, Merin untangled the wires patiently. Her fingers looked like she had taken a scalpel to them.

Anelie, meanwhile, had paused outside a different lab with two cups of steaming coffee in plastic cups from the cafeteria. Inside, Lansteiner was speaking with someone… She put her ear to the door.

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"Ah, Akihiro. I thought I might find you here."

Kurata glanced up and allowed himself a smile. "Doctor Lansteiner. My father spoke highly of you," he acknowledged. "You arranged my lectures here."

"And I have not been disappointed," said Lansteiner, striding to the younger man's side and peering at the microscope. The back of his grey head inclined slightly, and then he rose again, running a hand over the computer screen. "What do you make of this?"

"It's precisely what we've been searching for, sir," said Kurata. "I wonder at how willing Merin was to share credit for it."

Lansteiner's sharp brown eyes caught the other man's grey ones. "If this theory is proven it will be a triumph for Shiori. But she will run for Japan to confirm it, instead of taking the credit. She'd rather find the facts than stick around to be recognized. The mark of a true researcher," he glanced at Kurata meaningfully.

Kurata flushed and looked darkly at the screen. "I'm sure," he drawled. "It's curious how she stumbled upon just the right calculations… the odds of that… our team's been trying for years."

"Shiori came here almost a year ago with boxes of theories and a feverish obsession," began Lansteiner. Kurata looked up in mild interest. "Her family was killed three years ago in a gas leak no where near any pipelines. Shiori allowed herself time to graduate and made for our renowned labs. She was investigating the existence of parallel worlds, of digital matter. For months she did not emerge. I had complaints of hair getting on the microscope lenses from overnight sessions."

"But the odds of a mere graduate solving the equations involved in calculating the properties of digital matter… it's absurd," scoffed Kurata dismissively. "She'd need months…"

"Not so," Lansteiner smiled. "Your father never gave irrefutable proof of other worlds, but he started the research Daimon's team is completing now with you. He began theorizing as an undergraduate."

Kurata seemed torn between the flattery to his father and the implication that he worked in subordination to Daimon. "So why share credit with me?"

"To get in Diamon's good graces, perhaps," shrugged Lansteiner, smiling wryly when he saw Kurata's irritation. "Or rather into yours. Shiori wishes to pursue her further research in Japan immediately, not giving us time to grant her the doctorate. But I've made her high credentials clear to Daimon and he's willing to employ her to work in conjunction with you."

Kurata seemed to bristle.

"Ah, but I wish to speak to you about this first. Shiori does not yet know, and I feel she would have spoken to you prior than Daimon anyway. She is an ardent researcher, but she has her flaws… That is why I wish to leave the final decision to the person she'll be working with."

Kurata's glasses slid down his nose in astonishment, and he made no move to shift them back up.

"I don't believe Daimon allows you enough influence on the team. Demoting you to assistant to keep you from becoming your father is one of the most foolish things the legendary Daimon has done, and I don't think he realizes your resentment, Akihiro."

"How do you know all this?"

Lansteiner's phone beeped in his back pocket. He looked at Kurata and smiled. "I was a colleague of your father, recall. But I really should go check what has our medical wing a-flutter. I'd like your mind made up on the night of your flight, to give Shiori at least a few hours notice."

And Lansteiner swept out.

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And right into Anelie, who barely saved the coffee cups. He nodded at her with a half-smile and walked off. Taking a step forward, Anelie paused in the doors of the lab.

"Oh Professor, would you like some coffee?"

Kurata took one look at Anelie's fluttering eyelashes and ducked behind the microscope.

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The first thing Merin did when she got to her place was take a long nap. When she felt human again, she had some fruit and paused.

Merin surveyed her living quarters for the past year, and then she really looked. Having been granted an apartment on campus and within walking distance of the labs, Merin hadn't thought much into decorating. The small kitchen and living room area were bare but for packs of bottled water, a bowl of fruit and powerful lamps near every counter or surface which illuminated the bookshelf-lined walls. The bedroom was more of an office with a small bed backed up into a corner, the walls decorated with newspaper headlines like "Fire in Odaiba kills seven" and "Freak typhoon wipes out village miles from Coastline". A large desk strewn with books and papers and several monitors hooked up to a laptop served as the main feature of the room.

Over the bed, though, there were photographs. A quietly slouching Merin in black graduation gown and cap with golden tassels and ribbons and a diploma, but no smiling family with her.

A sunny playground where a wiry middle-aged man with graying black hair and narrow eyes was laughing, pushing a six-year-old girl with curly blonde hair on the swings while the ten-year-old Merin stood pouting in the background.

A family portrait in formal wear, the Asian father and a beautiful golden-haired mother with vivid amber eyes, a young and vivacious Merin with her father's grey eyes and the other curly blonde girl dazzling the photographer with bright honey-colored eyes and a dimpled smile.

On the text-crowded bedside table, a faded newspaper article was headlined, "Tragic gas leak destroys apartment building" and another; "Government suspects terrorism involved in gas blast". And there was another, more recent paper. "Daimon, PhD, makes breakthrough in computer science" with headshots of Daimon and Kurata in black and white.

Carefully, Merin gathered all of these and filed them into folders of a shoulderbag. There she also stored her laptop and several filled notebooks. Her clothes and other items all fit perfectly inside a small wheeled suitcase. The books, being property of the college, would remain behind.

She stared around, then decided to go say good bye to Lansteiner. Kurata had made Anelie give Merin a note detailing their flight and departure that afternoon. It seemed to have been a humiliating experience for Anelie, who was hardly grateful that Merin had fixed her accelerator for her.

Almost tenderly, Merin folded her blue-stained white labcoat and packed it inside her bag, and donned a grey jacket over a blue sweater and jeans.

Lansteiner was in his office. He smiled and told Merin she looked as intelligent as ever without her beloved copper stains.

"I don't think I could have done any of my experiments without your support, sir," Merin began, but Lansteiner waved it aside.

"Yes, yes, we're all going to miss you too Shiori. Japan is gaining a formidable scientist. But do remember our deal."

"I do, doctor."

"And also what I told you about Kurata's father. He was a good friend before he went rather mad with ambition. He died by risking a daring experiment no one would support, and one which, in success, would have destroyed the barrier between this and the theorized world."

"I-"

"Just keep an eye on Akihiro – do not let Daimon's foolishness drive his assistant to folly."

Merin nodded, and stood to shake hands with Lansteiner.

And that was the end of Salzburg.

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feedback is appreciated. even if it does tell my favorite character to go die in all caps.


	2. Chapter 2

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Part I, Chapter 2

On the airplane flight to Japan Merin let Kurata take the window seat. The sky was darkening rapidly as they took off, her ears popping. Noticing, Kurata offered her a lollipop, which Merin sucked on for the rest of the flight, reading while Kurata dozed.

Right before landing the plane began to shake. The pilot's voice warned of mild turbulence and reassured the passengers. Kurata, who'd been facing Merin, asleep in his seat and curls on end, woke to the trembling plane, eyes impossibly wide, and grabbed Merin's arm in a vice-grip, whimpers escaping his lips.

Merin offered him her case of peanuts. After a few seconds he recovered, but the rest of the flight he was pale and stared out the window from low in his seat. They were the first to get off the plane.

- - - - - - - -

They picked up their luggage and took a taxi to downtown Tokyo, where they dined on noodles and fried rice and Merin ordered Kurata a sake.

"The building," said Kurata through a mouthful of noodles, indicating a large complex of buildings outside the restaurant window with his chopsticks. He swallowed, "Is headquarters. I have an apartment above this fine establishment, but most of the team live further from here."

"Here would be fine," admitted Merin, sipping her green tea. She hadn't touched her noodles.

"You want those?"

"Have them."

Kurata asked for a box and considered Merin, who looked queasy and sipped her steaming tea. His tea clouded up his lenses and made Kurata appear even more impassive.

"Well, let's get our stuff upstairs then."

"Huh?"

"You're staying with me," said Kurata airily.

Merin raised her grey eyes to his lighter ones and watched him daintily wipe his mouth with a napkin, leave money on the table and rise to tug their rolling baggage out and toward the elevator on the residential side of the building.

Kurata's flat was similar to every crowded city flat – a small living area and kitchen adjoining the bedroom and bath. An extra bedroom had been converted to an office. What was unusual was the amount of filing cabinets, bookshelves, and computer screens scattered all over the flat. It was clean, cleaner than Merin's place, impeccably organized and empty of any particular emotion.

"Would you prefer a bed?"

"The couch is fine."

"Suit yourself."

Kurata rolled her suitcase into the office/bedroom, pulled out the cushions from the couch and put away the box of noodles into a well-stocked fridge.

"Sheets are in the linen cupboard," he indicated, stretching and running a hand through his pressed-curly hair. Merin caught herself finding the gesture endearing and immediately shook her head.

"We begin work tomorrow," he said over a yawn, but his glasses flashed where his demeanor was casual. "Try to get some sleep."

"Goodnight Kurata," said Merin inaudibly, and watched him retreat, slouching into his own room. Exhausted, she made her makeshift bed and changed quickly before collapsing, leaving exploration of Kurata's office for another time.

- - - -

Kurata woke early, as was his habit, shaking off jet lag and dressing. The sun was shining brightly through his windows, and he enjoyed the feeling on his face, rolling up his white shirtsleeves as he set the coffeemaker and started breakfast.

Going to rouse Merin, he paused in the doorway. The bright sunlight from the window fell across her light brown hair, bringing out a deep red sheen, across dark eyelashes and a serene expression. He walked back to the living room and turned on the television instead. On the news, reporters were discussing the latest of a devastating series of explosions across the mountains North of the city, near the Crier residence. Kurata shook his head at how foolishly conspicuous the young couple were making themselves, changed to a music channel.

Merin woke to sunlight streaming over her face and took a moment to orient herself. The small room contained a large desk with computer monitors and heavily tabbed papers. She rose, gathered her jeans and grey shirt, and padded for the shower. In the kitchen she caught a glimpse of Kurata's back as he hummed over the stove to the television. After a shower, dressed and with the tips of her damp hair curling, she rearranged her baggage against a wall of the makeshift office and neatly made the bed. A flutter of papers caught her eye.

She was just leafing through Kurata's latest experiments in proposing a time oscillation device when she realized what she was doing. Hastily she put the papers back and emerged into the kitchen. Kurata was sitting at his table in a white button-down shirt and his usual black pants, newspaper obscuring his face. Before him was a half-eaten plate full of fried eggs in some sort of delicious-smelling sauce, and a full plate awaited Merin on the other side of the table.

"Good morning," she said guiltily, sitting down.

Kurata lowered his newspaper and smiled widely. "Eat up – we're going to impress the team today."

"This is delicious," said Merin, slightly surprised.

"Well, good, good. I've been perfecting the recipe."

Merin polished off her eggs and glanced at the newspaper Kurata had handed across the table. "The Criers," she read aloud. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting everyone after reading all about them."

Kurata drained his glass of orange juice and employed his napkin. "Oh, it's not all that unbelievable. But," he dabbed his mouth gingerly, obscuring his smirk, "perhaps some fresh blood will spice things up. All ready?"

Tokyo was warmer than Salzburg, and Merin unbuttoned her sleeves and threw her labcoat over her arm as they walked down the busy street. Early morning traffic was honking, commuters crowding the stairs to the subway. They took an overcrowded train two stops further downtown where they disembarked with some relief at the very base of an impressive compound of labs.

"And we get the entire ninth floor," gestured Kurata as they passed through security and into an elevator.

"This government-sponsorship, does it cost you any control over your project?"

"Daimon is stubborn and that's proved enough," said Kurata with a sigh. "Although I really do love politicians – they're so naïve about science. Ah, here we are."

This time he held the door open for Merin with a smug little smile and sauntered in after her as though she was his new lab project. The lab was vast, Merin could tell right away, sectioned off with counters and computers ceiling-high, and a strange ring wound with copper wire and cables on the back wall, all contained in a huge tank.

A man was bending over a sparking circuit, no glasses or labcoat and his straight brown bangs falling into his eyes. Behind him a couple was fiddling with a microscope, and several more scientists were gathered around a large monitor. The man closest to them and the only one without a labcoat Merin recognized from the papers.

"You must be Ms. Merin Shiori – Lansteiner called about you. I'm Daimon Suguru," Daimon grinned and shook Merin's hand enthusiastically. "Everyone, welcome Merin to the team!" His voice echoed around the room, and everyone turned to stare at Merin, who flushed. Daimon hadn't let go of Merin's hand but she pulled back and stepped into Kurata.

"Sor-"

"Merin, it's nice to meet you-" the Noguchi couple, Misuzu tall and thin with tragically wide eyes, Kenji her husband round and comically short in contrast.

"Welcome to the digital world exploration center, I'm Satsuma," said an authoritative-looking man.

"Come enlighten us," grinned Yushima, taking out his headphones. "I'm Yushima, Assistant Inspector of the Investigations Unit."

"Investigations unit?"

Daimon glared at Kurata, who had been smiling up until then. "You didn't tell her what we're doing?"

"What are we doing?" asked Kurata innocently. Daimon shook his head in disgust.

"The Criers succeeded in making a working gate between worlds but their young baby was drawn in. We're mounting an expedition to find little Ikuto and bring him back. This coincides with the government's aims of exploration and diplomacy."

Behind Daimon, Kurata was mouthing the last sentence, making a face at diplomacy. Merin choked on a snicker and Daimon looked at her funny.

"Excuse me. I realize this must be painful, but how could a baby have-?"

Before she finished her sentence however, Merin was interrupted by the door banging open. A man of about half her height walked in, looking self-important in his business suit and wearing a severe look on his lined face.

"Director Hashima," said Daimon, "What are you doing here?"

"This is the last time we cover for you!" Hashima snapped, scowling and waving a stubby finger threateningly at the Noguchis, who looked frightened. "That explosion in the mountains, at your home, was seen by the entire city!"

"Don't speak that way to my colleagues-" began Daimon, but Kurata interrupted Daimon.

"Of course, Director, we completely understand," he said smoothly. "But surely there is no reason to worry now that you've appeased the TV stations. Now, about that extra funding…"

"Oh, very well, Kurata. But I'm warning you, Daimon!" said the Director irritably, walking away to speak with Kurata.

"Sleazeball," muttered Daimon, and Yushima chuckled over his microscope.

"How so?" dared Merin, surprised at the collective dislike directed at Kurata from every direction.

"Ah, it doesn't matter, Merin," said Daimon, almost patronizingly. "If my assistant wants to suck up to the government…"

"Your assistant is keeping you out of trouble by skillfully averting the government's wrath," Merin shot back, flustered by Daimon's tone. "And asking for more funds. I hardly think it's beneficial to have so much animosity between colleagues."

Daimon smiled at Merin. "You're right, sure. Why don't you show me how you engineered that particular groundbreaking experiment in Salzburg then? I had Satsuma make some space for you next to his work station," he pointed Merin to a corner near her own computer and set of equipment.

The next few hours Merin was absorbed in recreating the exact conditions of her previous experiment, building an air vacuum and setting up the correct wavelengths, connecting computers and microscopes and weaving the intricate magnetic field required to suspend her particles. Kurata had wandered back in some time later and hung back, watching Merin, before he dove in to help connect her computers, for which Merin was grateful.

Satsuma was a reassuring presence as well, running a hand through his short blue hair and occasionally asking a pertinent, brusque question.

"Yes, that's perceptive of you," Merin confirmed when he asked about the mechanism behind her calculations. "If you're willing to help, I need to calibrate the lenses?" Merin employed him to watch the wavelength calculations which she adjusted by frequency while Kurata nimbly entered the equations. Two brilliant researchers assisting her; it was Merin's paradise. Hehe.

"The problem with your previous set up," said Kurata around the wires between his teeth, his glasses sliding down his nose as his hands were occupied dancing over the keyboard, "Was that you had no legitimate control. After we finish this I can design an appropriate null hypothesis…" he scrunched his face to lift the glasses and gave up. Automatically and rather thoughtlessly, Merin pushed them up the bridge of his nose and returned to her microscope.

"Hmm…" said Kurata, and Merin wondered what he sounded so intrigued about.

Just as they were fiddling with the wires, Daimon gave a startled exclamation.

"What's going on Suguru?" asked Yushima, who was closest. Daimon's face was split in a large grin.

"I've got it! Let's go to lunch."

Apparently the team was used to not being informed of experiments until Daimon felt necessary, because nobody questioned their leader, but set their own projects into stasis and aggregated toward the door. Merin was last, double checking every one of her nodes and switches.

The group rode down in two elevators, and Daimon pulled Merin unceremoniously in with him, Yushima, and Satsuma right before the doors closed.

"Any reason you don't take off your lab coat?" asked Satsuma pointedly.

"None other than negligence," admitted Merin.

"So Salzburg. That's a long way," said Yushima amiably, "How did Kurata convince you to come here? Told you he worked under Suguru Daimon?"

Daimon had the good grace to wave away the compliment.

"Well, actually I asked to work with Kurata," said Merin. "His contributions to my breakthrough were phenomenal. They're all very fond of him at the University."

"Hah, I'm sure they are," sneered Yushima.

They stepped out of the elevator and Daimon took Merin aside as they waited for the other group to join them.

"Let me warn you about Kurata," said Daimon low near Merin's ear. "He's only concerned for himself. He thinks the world we're discovering is too dangerous to share – and he's got some crazy notions about protection. I mean, he's not even willing to talk to any potential inhabitants without armed guard."

"That sounds completely reasonable to me," stated Merin blandly. "Why should we stumble in over our heads?"

Just then the Criers and Kurata arrived, and the group walked to a nearby restaurant. Perched between Satsuma and Misuzu, both tall and blue-haired and not prone to excess chatter, Merin sipped her green tea and watched the group shovel down sushi. Across from her, Daimon made a joke and elbowed Kurata hard enough to make him wince and spit out his sashimi into his napkin with an unpleasant expression.

"So, you probably need a place to stay while you find an apartment," said Daimon once their desert of green ice-cream lumps arrived. Kenji and Yushima were shoveling their mouths while the stick thin Misuzu, the only other woman on the team (whose tragically wide eyes widened further at the sight of a baby at another table), nodded along.

"You can stay with us, we've a large house just outside of town," said Misuzu obligingly.

"I don't want to be a bother," said Merin quickly.

"No, no, you should stay with us," said Daimon, "Little Masaru loves curly hair, doesn't he?" Kurata blanched at some apparently horrifying memories of the little child tugging his hair. "And my wife makes the best fried eggs in the world!"

Merin decided not upset Daimon by recommending he try Kurata's instead. "Really, I couldn't-"

"I insist! You need a place to stay, and as part of the team we'll help you adapt back to life in Tokyo."

"Start by buying a new labcoat," Kenji advised, snickering at the blue stains on Merin's sleeves. Merin sat on her hands self-consciously and flushed in embarrassment.

"It's decided then, you can come to my house for as long as you need," said Daimon, grinning encouragingly at the mortified Merin.

"She's staying with me."

There was definitely a hint of condescension there.

"You?" sneered Daimon. "Hah, you barely have room for your books in that apartment!"

"Thank you," said Merin pointedly to Kurata, who smirked in reply. "Now, would you tell us about your discovery Mr. Daimon?"

Daimon recovered quickly and flashed a grin at the table. "Why don't I show you instead? Kurata, take care of the checks for us. Come on, scientists, this way."

Merin glanced back to see Kurata slouched over the empty plates at the empty table and stare at Daimon's back with a distaste that didn't quite conceal his loathing, grey eyes so light they looked eerily white, glasses gleaming.

By the end of the day the lab emptied. The Criers had left early to experiment in the lab they'd built near their house in the mountains, and Yushima had taken off to catch a train South, where he intended to go fishing. This was apparently his way of clearing his mind. Only Daimon, Satsuma, and Merin remained now, Kurata having disappeared.

It was dark by the time Satsuma retired, too, and Merin was left to obsess over her lightsource, tinkering with switches to focus in on her suspended particles, which now glowed a deep red. She hardly noticed Daimon leaning over her shoulder.

"Amazing," he said earnestly, his green eyes reflecting the red. Merin jumped.

"But purely theory. There's very little practical application, sadly."

"Well there's no fieldwork involved if that's what you're implying," replied Merin, a bit cross at such a dismissal of her discovery. "Besides, it's irrefutable proof. Scientists are supposed to design experiments to be replicated as I've done. We should study the properties of this matter to find whether it's conducive to what we call life, flora or fauna, bacteria and such… and how it will interact with our own electrical impulses. The slightest emotion could send ripples of energy…"

Daimon wasn't listening. Or he was listening, gazing intently into Merin's face, but not hearing what she was saying. She paused, completely disconcerted, and took a step away from his piercing stare, only to back into the glass wall that partitioned the lab in two.

- - - - -

Kurata had the director eating from the palm of his hand. Or so he liked to think, to avert the bitterness that came at obeying Daimon's every whim. The conference had lasted the whole afternoon, but he'd successfully presented his case for more funds and weapons for the expedition, planned tentatively at least a year later.

"The Criers will just wait until we're properly prepared," he thought, satisfied in his precautions. As he climbed the back stairs of the darkened lab, he noticed a vague shape against the glass.

Kurata squinted through his glasses. Merin was pressed with her back against the glass wall, recognizable by the blue hem of her lab coat and disheveled hair, and Daimon was standing with a hand pressed above each of her shoulders, a strange look on his face.

-----

Don't worry it's not at all what it looks like. Daimon's far too noble, anyway, it would be no fun.


	3. Chapter 3

--------

Part I, Chapter 3

- - - - -

"Can you honestly tell me that you don't trust your instincts in this?" Daimon asked Merin, planting his hands over her shoulders to get a closer look at her face. "Power comes from trusting your instincts, your gut. You can't be afraid of this new world without knowing what it is."

"The undiscovered country," Merin quoted, somewhat morbidly. But then her frown relaxed. "Your passion lies in exploring and taking risks, Daimon. Don't grudge those who prefer to calculate the risks first."

"We're going to send our expedition out next week," said Daimon suddenly. "I've decided it. The Criers have suffered enough. Damn Kurata and his preparations, we'll go when I say so."

"You seem to trust your instincts," Merin observed. Daimon grinned widely and gave Merin's shoulders a triumphant little shake.

"I suggest you stop mishandling our newest researcher." Kurata's voice floated down the lab and Daimon reflexively took a step from Merin as if realizing his proximity for the first time, too caught up in his earnestness before. Kurata was standing at the far end of the lab, cast in shadow, a silhouette with flashing red glasses in the light of Merin's experiment.

He was breathing hard from running up the stairs, but when he approached them Kurata was coldly composed.

"Where have you been all day? We could have used your help."

"I was negotiating the funds and safety of our expedition with the Director," sniffed Kurata. "While you were harassing my colleague."

Daimon narrowed his eyes. "I was harassing no one, Kurata. You would do well to remember your place."

He took several steps to Kurata who stood his ground, and raised a fist. Kurata flinched but Daimon only uncurled his fingers to display a palm-sized device with an LCD screen and several buttons, crimson and silver in color.

"A digivice," said Merin in a carrying tone. Both men turned to her.

"That's right," said Daimon, "I designed this prototype to communicate with the creatures we glimpsed when we opened the gate temporarily as a test and fed the data to the computers. I'm giving this to my assistant for refinement. We're leaving in a week, Kurata."

"We-what?" Kurata's grey eyes had widened, and even in the red light it was evident his skin had lost its color and turned milky pale.

"You're coming with us," Daimon said forcefully. "I understand Merin prefers to refrain from fieldwork at Lansteiner's request, but I'm ordering you to come with me, Kurata. Now go reverse engineer what you can and see if you can improve that digivice, I know you'll enjoy it."

For once Kurata looked completely lost for words. Merin could read the horror on his thin face.

"Good night Merin!" Daimon called over his shoulder, walking out.

After the door had slammed, Merin extended a hand and settled it on Kurata's shoulder.

"Come on," she tugged on the collar of his labcoat.

"My parents died three years ago," she said softly, looking at Kurata's bowed head. "The government covered it up. Called it a gas explosion. My parents, my little sister," her voice broke off a moment. "Do you know the reason I wasn't there? I had run away to attend a lecture on bioengineering at the community college. We were supposed to be celebrating my sister's graduation from secondary school…"

Kurata had looked up and the look in his eyes was more genuine than Merin had ever seen before.

"It was those creatures. Breaking through the barrier between worlds – those Digimon destroyed the apartment building and my family. Half the street blazing in an inferno. I saw, when I returned – ashes, soot and debris covering everything…" there was a silence.

"Lansteiner told me your father died."

"My father really was too ambitious," said Kurata suddenly. "Lansteiner was right. He thought he'd perfected a digital gate. He didn't consult anyone – he just dove in. Like Daimon's doing now. It killed him, the explosion. Leveled his lab building. I was twelve."

"I'm sorry."

"You understand!" Kurata's voice echoed across the dark, empty lab. He gave a dry laugh with a hysterical note to it. "You're the only one who can understand. And Daimon wants me to run headfirst through the deathtrap that killed my father." He looked at the digivice in his hand and pocketed it quickly, then considered Merin, whose hand still rested warmly on his shoulder. The red light brought out the contrast in her hair, played curiously behind her eyes.

"The baby survived. It's there somewhere, in the undiscovered world that's brimming with dangers and monsters. Daimon's misguided in many ways, but his altruism overshadows his reason. That's why he needs you."

Kurata raised a hand to Merin's shoulder and wrapped a wavy strand around two fingers, toying with her hair. "Some people just can't see reason," he sighed with some irony.

Merin tilted her head into the hand now knotted in her hair and at the same moment he leaned forward slightly, and her bangs were brushing his forehead, and she could see his half-lidded eyes over his glasses and smell the sugar and cherries on his breath.

And then he pulled back and brought a hand to his face to divert a sharp sneeze.

"Ah-choo! Hmm…" he sniffed, looking miserable.

"Bless you," said Merin, frowning. Kurata smiled almost slyly.

"Excuse me… must be allergies. But look at the time."

They barely spoke on the way out of the building, and the late train they took to Kurata's apartment was a silent ride. Once at his home, Kurata retreated to his bedroom with the digivice and didn't emerge for dinner. Merin had a solitary meal of noodle leftovers and then connected her computer to Kurata's and made copies of his data. If Daimon was planning to send his team in next week, she had little time to lose.

- - - -

In the early hours of the morning Kurata walked into his office. He seemed unsurprised to find Merin up, dressed, and occupying his computer with algorithms running along the screens. Without a word he pulled up a chair and put the dismantled digivice on the table before them.

"I don't know how he came up with it," he said wearily. "But that doesn't matter. It will not only communicate but link us to those creatures."

"But that's mad. Why would Daimon want to do that?"

"Why does he want to leave so soon? Don't ask me how his mind works," Kurata shrugged almost elegantly before slouching back again with a calculated despair.

"We'll find you an apartment tomorrow," he said lightly.

"I think we should prioritize," replied Merin. "I can always find an apartment when the lives of my colleagues aren't on the line."

"What are you working on?"

Merin knew the disinterest was feigned. So she copied her host's manner and played it down: "Nothing much, just a little improvement on your theorized oscillating mechanism."

Kurata leaned forward in anticipation but Merin switched off her laptop and disconnected it. "We'll finish it tomorrow and test it out to make sure it's safe on some small animals. If we want to do that, we should get some sleep."

Kurata gave her a look of sharp and almost sly exasperation but yawned in agreement. "Very well. Were you pleased with your first day?"

"Very much – particularly breakfast."

"Hmm. Well, good night."

Merin watched Kurata slouch out, recalling the feel of a warm hand in her hair and the smell of lollipops on his breath, and wondered what, precisely, he was allergic to.

- - - - - -

When they arrived at the lab the next day, only Satsuma and the Criers were there. Merin immediately began disassembling the small round devices Kurata had constructed under the scientist's watchful eye, and together they tinkered with circuits and currents the entire day. Lunchtime came and went – without news from any other team members or the Confidentiality Ministry. But Merin was enjoying her work now in earnest.

So passed four more days. Merin and Kurata were the first in the lab and the last to leave, often skipping lunch and eating a late dinner before spending another frenetic night calculating and researching. There were no more heart-to-hearts, and therefore no more awkwardly-induced allergic reactions or tense silences. Working in an established and companionable rhythm on the fifth day, the short-lived routine was interrupted by the return of Daimon and Yushima.

"We were on a top secret trip," said Daimon conspiratorially to his team, "There was an actual breach between worlds – a Digimon was sighted! We were hired to investigate where and why the breach occurred, but apparently it was a fluke, because by the time we arrived the gate had closed, leaving some massive footprints. We wandered around and camped out there, but nothing showed up."

"Even got some fishing done," said Yushima brightly.

The excitement died down as Daimon went to speak with the Criers, and Misuzu broke down. From across the room, Merin glanced over with a concerned expression.

"Don't mind her, she cries at least twice a week," whispered Kurata into her ear as he was bending over the microscope. "Required by name, I think."

Merin stifled a giggle guiltily and ploughed on, unsuccessful at completely ignoring Kurata's laughing grey eyes.

"Once we get that pathway to carry the signal, it'll be complete," Kurata murmured to Merin, "So soft with the conductors…"

Steadily the team filed out for lunch as usual. Merin, though, was attempting to slice a particularly brittle wire with a fine scalpel, and stayed while Kurata sat on a high stool and enjoyed his view through the microscope at leisure.

"Oh!" she breathed out, a thin band of scarlet appearing on her finger, pooling and spilling over with blood. The edge of the wire was jagged and a drop of blood hung off of it, but it was finally sparking, conducting the elusive energy Merin had been trying to tap.

"Of _course_," she said breathlessly. "Blood! The ions, the copper and iron in hemoglobin… conductors!" She squeezed another several drops and connected the wires, pinching them together. The signal carried!

Kurata had looked up at her strange exclamation and he stood and approached her.

"Kurata, I think we got it…"

Casually Kurata leaned over, winding one arm around Merin's upper arm and prodding the device with his other hand. It glowed and buzzed, charging. A gleeful smirk twisted Kurata's lips, widening into a smile that bordered on deranged. He beamed at Merin, who blushed brightly.

"The blood was the conductor we needed," she whispered, still awed.

"You're absolutely right! I could kiss you," but instead Kurata leaned closer to the oscillator and his eyes danced with ambition. "Now, to test it out…"

"Use the containment tank," advised Merin, allowing Kurata to grasp the ball-shaped device and deposit it behind the large glass wall where their containment room was located. She grabbed a white rabbit from the cage on Daimon's desk (he claimed he kept them as pets but Merin reckoned he wouldn't miss one).

"Ready?" asked Kurata, glasses gleaming, anticipation written across his face. Merin wondered how he kept his tone slightly detached and amused at times like this.

"On your count, Professor," grinned Merin.

"Commencing in three, two…_showtime_!"

There was a burst of light as Kurata triggered the device, a shockwave passing over the researchers, and then their eyes adjusted. Merin had been holding the frightened rabbit by its ears in front of her face – Kurata had grasped her other hand tightly with his eyes fixed intently on the tank. Behind the glass, a large and perfect circle of light had materialized.

It shifted, as though swirling with green and black symbols deep inside. Merin pulled a long leash around the rabbit's neck and, after a brief hesitation, pulled open the door into the huge glass enclosure and chucked the rabbit in, shutting it quickly. A powerful gust of wind swept the lab, fluttering through her and Kurata's hair. The leash, an industrial-quality cable three meters long, grew shorter and shorter… and suddenly when only a foot of cable was left, it stopped pulling as though the rabbit had landed somewhere. The cable stretched into the darkness.

"Pull it out," Kurata ordered softly. Merin tugged, and slowly the cable emerged, same as it had been before. But then the gate began to grow smaller in radius, closing. Kurata grabbed the cable with Merin and they gave a mighty heave.

The rabbit flew out, relatively unharmed and flashing orange for some reason, at the very last moment before the gate closed and disappeared as though it had never existed. The rabbit continued to fly toward them until it encountered the glass and both Merin and Kurata stumbled over the lengthy cable and fell in a tangle on the lab floor, bruised and winded.

"Oh," Kurata sat halfway up and rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. Merin couldn't really budge because he was sitting on the cable which stretched across her ribcage and through the glass door, not to mention Kurata's legs had somehow landed over her knees and knotted the other end of the cable.

"Success," groaned Merin, smiling mischievously through the pain.

Kurata's grey eyes were dancing again, half-lidded in pleasure or pain. "Yare, yare… what do we do now?" He leaned over Merin, fiddling with the cable, but he'd not counted on the other end tangled in his feet to upset his balance and jolt him forward.

"Celebrate our success? Please don't sneeze on me…" said Merin, pinned rather uncomfortably.

"I think I have a better idea," intoned Kurata reticently. And then his lips were on hers, and he did taste of lollipops and green tea and Merin weaved her hands into his hair while his fingers snaked beneath her neck, those smugly half-lidded eyes peering greedily into Merin's clouded grey ones.

"Hello? What's this!"

Kurata scrambled up, tripping several times, and Merin ducked under and disentangled herself from the cable, grateful for the counter obscuring them from view. They both rose quickly, Merin still flushed and Kurata's hair disheveled worse than hers.

Daimon was standing in the doorway and holding his white rabbit, which had a carrot in its mouth. He looked puzzled by the carrot, and even further confused by his two researchers who'd popped out from under the counter with such funny looks on their faces.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No!" said Kurata and Merin in unison.

"I just dropped my-" clarified Merin, pausing. Kurata handed her a length of cable, which she tugged on demonstratively and sent Kurata to the floor. "Oh! Kurata!"

Daimon snickered. Merin dove back down under the counter to help Kurata up, disentangling the cable from his shoes.

"Don't tell him we've perfected it-" Kurata whispered to her as he took the proffered hand. "He'll insist we don't use it."

Merin nodded in agreement and Kurata stood and straightened his lab coat just as the rest of the team returned from lunch.

"You're working too hard – go take a lunch break!" Yushima told Merin. "You're turning red without fresh air."

"Yes, I could go for some lunch," said Kurata, stretching languidly. Merin took the hint and together they walked briskly out of the labs and down the corridor.

"Why do I feel like I missed something?" asked Yushima blankly.

"They're just antisocial," said Kenji dismissively. Satsuma shook his head but decided not to point out the obvious when Daimon shot him a slightly sickened look.

-----

that's part I. Which builds some emotion. However, if Part I is romance Part II is adventure and fear and exhilerating entertainment. Please do give me some feedback, though, hmm?


	4. Chapter 4

Part II - the primary expedition

Chapter 4

"Take this," Merin tucked the makeshift digivice into the back pocket of Kurata's heavily loaded backpack. "And remember, we aren't aware of long-term effects of the digital matter on humans, so log any symptoms you might experience."

They were standing in the lab, Daimon comforting the Criers while the other scientists made their last-minute preparations. Satsuma was stretching, his expression controlled, while Yushima packed away an old CD-player and his gun holster. Every scientist had been issued a handgun despite Daimon's protests.

"And don't forget about the oscillation device," Merin whispered. "But use it only as a last resort…"

Daimon approached them then, smiling enthusiastically.

"Ready, assistant? Merin? Right, team, we've been looking forward to this for a long time! Now, everything's been made ready. Who's going to explore a brand new world and rescue Ikuto?"

The team cheered, or most of them did.

"Now Merin, you'll be able to track us with the prototype digivices, and we'll be able to track each other that way, so if we're separated they'll be no real crisis. There's no map, obviously, but purely a directional navigation." He fingered his yellow digivice/communicator and tucked it in his backpack.

"Everything is ready, sir, all systems check out," said Merin. "But sir, once your two-week's supplies run out, will you return via the same portal?"

"We'll worry about that when we get around to it," said Daimon. "Now, begin. Shield your eyes, team."

Merin shot Kurata a reassuring look and entered a data sequence programmed to open the portal they wired up behind their glass enclosure.

"Neverland, here we come!" and Daimon dived in first, and became a yellow dot on Merin's computer screen.

"Ikuto, son, we're coming for you!" the Criers followed, dark green and light blue.

"Right behind you!" Satsuma walked through, a darker orange dot.

"Alright!" Yushima said, his dot green.

"Be careful!" Merin put in as Kurata steeled himself last.

"Showtime!" he said grimly, and walked through. A navy blue dot appeared apart from the others on Merin's screen.

The digital portal flashed and disappeared with a shockwave. Merin was left alone in the lab, the only signs of her colleagues the brightly flashing dots on her computer screen.

- - ---

Stepping through the digital portal was nauseating. Colors swam and blurred and the first thing Kurata did when he felt solid land beneath his feet was to throw up his breakfast. After he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, he rolled away from the mess and closed his eyes, groaning. The light warmed his skin, and he heard water dripping gently from somewhere.

The grass beneath his body was soft and elastic. He opened his eyes and stared at the blue sky where several huge boulders were floating above the swaying canopy of green and lilac trees.

Everything was vivid, vivacious, and colorful. Kurata rose warily and dug out his dark blue digivice, but he could detect no signals. He moved quickly from beneath the boulder's shadow and considered the debris that hung suspended from the sky like some protest to the laws of gravity. There were large chunks of sky missing, replaced by green computerchips, far off in the distance. The ground sloped downward, a grassy clearing in the blooming forest. He could hear wildlife stirring, too, in the distance.

Kurata fought the sense of panic at being separated and completely lost in a new and likely dangerous world and reminded himself that he could always get back at need.

At the edge of the clearing a herd of something was crawling over the ground, like pink bulbs with blue sprouts, but they had eyes and mouths… they disregarded Kurata and scuttled back into the undergrowth, making high-pitched noises that sounded very much like speech.

In the sky several dragon-like creatures flew by in the distance, narrowly diving around some boulders. A pair of bat eyes glinted in the canopy and a ball-shaped, raggedy creature suddenly swooped into the undergrowth and grabbed one of the pink bulbs.

"Hahaha! Gotcha!" it screeched in a husky, unpleasant but distinctly clear voice. Kurata's impossibly widened eyes grew further.

The bulb was putting up a struggle, and its comrades yelled in protest in squeaky voices. "Put me down! Demidevimon, let go! Help!"

Kurata shook his head incredulously, took three steps back, and tripped over a wire that protruded from the root of the tree behind him.

"Aah!" the grass absorbed the shock of the fall but Kurata's surprised exclamation startled the Demidevimon into dropping the Yokomon (refer to .). With mad squealing of thanks and commotion the herd disappeared back into the undergrowth. Demidevimon's attention now fixed on Kurata, sprawled on his back with his large backpack and look of horror.

"Hey! You made me lose my lunch! Well, you're next, buddy! I don't know what kind of Digimon you are but you're about to be sorry!" And the oversized bat flew at the scientist, talons extended and glinting.

"Ah-ah!"

Kurata wheeled onto his feet and dodged through the trees, half-crying from adrenaline and fear. Demidevimon flew hot on his heels, still spewing threats in its funny voice.

"When I dig my claws into you-!"

And it attempted to, clawing at Kurata's backpack. Perhaps it was pure luck, though he suspected it was skillful packing, which ensured the metal frying pan from his mess kit was on top of his other supplies. Demidevimon rammed headfirst into the pan and bounced off, dazed. The force of the push to his back propelled the already stumbling scientist forward down the hill, head over heels.

Kurata somersaulted to a stop on soft sand. The forest had ended very suddenly right where the line of the sandy bank began, and the soft white granules led down to a rushing river that carved further into the ground and disappeared in a loud and foaming waterfall.

The scientist glanced around nervously, rose quickly to his feet and discovered that he was stuck. The sand made a squelching noise and sucked his ankles firmer down. Kurata gasped and froze, motionless, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, we aren't done yet!"

Demidevimon had flown out of the forest and at Kurata with a sharp-toothed snarl. Kurata threw up his arms just in time to save his eyesight and receive a sharp slash across his left forearm, shredding half the sleeve of his labcoat and shirt and immediately drenching the white fabric with blood.

Demidevimon froze in surprise when it saw its own claw dripping with red. But the pain stimulated some survival instinct in Kurata who, now up to his knees in the quicksand, grabbed Demidevimon's stubby legs in both hands and didn't let go.

"Hey! Get off! Get off!"

The creature flapped its wings desperately, but Kurata held tight. And then it had pulled him out of the sand with a wrenching effort, and raised him a meter from the ground, shaking desperately to be rid of the extra burden the (very fortunately) lean scientist presented.

"Get off!"

Kurata floundered and whimpered and dripped blood like some grotesque ragdoll, but he clung on. Demidevimon flew over the river in its mad dash to shake off its would-be victim, over the waterfall… and then Kurata's left arm gave way, and he fell, desperate voice lost in the rush of water.

"Hah! Serves him right," sneered Demidevimon, flapping away crookedly, balance upset.

- - -

When Daimon stepped through the portal he directed his movements deliberately forward, managing instinctively to guide his path straight and land agilely on his feet in the soft, rolling fields of tall grass. The plains stretched on toward forested mountains in the distance, a stream winding its way down and glinting in the sun. Rocks and other debris hung beyond the clouds in the clear blue sky. Daimon squinted happily around as his researchers appeared, one-by-one.

"Only five," commented Satsuma, the second to get his bearings.

"Yeah, did Kurata chicken out last minute?" asked Yushima, orienting himself into a position where his head was above the rest of his body. "Rough landing…" he complained.

"Oh, Misuzu, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Kenji. We need to start looking! Oh, he could be anywhere…"

Daimon ignored the Criers for the moment and turned to Satsuma.

"Kurata would not disobey a direct order. He must have been separated somehow. But we'll find him…"

"After we find Ikuto!" snapped Misuzu, her face tearstreaked and passionate.

"Well, then, everyone, I'd like to call this a success so far," announced Daimon. "Now I'm going to attempt to communicate with Merin to see if we can pass along our data and get some coordinates on either of our missing persons."

"I'll set up a temporary camp," said Satsuma gruffly. "We need to become accustomed to the terrain before we set off."

The Criers sat down there on the grass while Yushima and Satsuma gathered the dry wood that was scattered beneath a grove of trees and got a campfire going.

"This will signal to any other creatures where we are," explained Daimon, "And then we can engage in diplomatic relations!"

The researchers huddled around the fire, a familiar feature in this unfamiliar world. Although it was fairly warm the flickering flames were comforting. Daimon fiddled with his yellow digivice.

"Merin, do you read?" he asked slowly, giving the device a shake. "Daimon to base, do you copy?"

And Merin's worried face filled the screen, all narrowed grey eyes and frown.

"I hear you, Doctor Daimon," came Merin's voice with some static. "You all landed together at coordinate…" she read off a list. "Except your assistant's a distance away. I've been calculating some angles but I don't have the data for proper cartography."

"We will sketch an approximation as we travel," Satsuma leaned behind Daimon's shoulder after setting down a large chunk of dry wood that was immediately engulfed in flames and sent up a puff of white smoke.

"Right. I'm detecting lifeforms beginning to swarm your area, so whatever signal you implemented is working. Stay alert."

Daimon ended the connection and waved his team over.

"We know you're there!" he shouted, standing up and stretching out his arms. "We just want to speak to you!"

And the tall grass around them ruffled like waves on a sea and a monster flew out, followed by another. It was a small swarm of Tentomon, insect-like creatures with a hard red exoskeleton.

"Hello, can you speak?" asked Yushima. But the Tentomon completely ignored the curious newcomers and swarmed instead, like moths, to the fire, using their wings to fan dirt onto it.

"What are you-?" began Kenji, but a strange music interrupted him, coming from the tall fields of grass. "Huh?"

It was calming, lulling security – tuneless low notes of a horn that blended harmoniously into a hypnotic rhythm so that when the players appeared, it was all the team could do to not fall asleep. No one was shocked by the tall amphibians wound with horns.

"Hello-" said Daimon, dazed from the melody. The digimon stopped playing then, and stepped up to the humans.

"We Gekomon have lived here and kept the plains alive since we hatched," croaked out one of the frog-like creatures. "Why are you setting fire to our home?"

Most of the team took several actual steps back when they heard the creature speak, but Daimon replied steadily. "We weren't trying to set fire to your home. We're explorers from another world, and we're trying to find our friends. Have you seen a baby human before?"

The Tentomon finished extinguishing the fire and flew off, buzzing growing distant, as the Gekomon chatted between themselves. "No, we have not seen this hu-mon," said one at last, "But we know our leader Merukimon has spoken of it. You should find the mighty Merukimon and speak with him, at the Infinite Ice Ridge."

"Any chance you could give us directions?" asked Daimon with a smile.

- - - -


	5. Chapter 5

- - - -

When Kurata came to, the first thing he noticed was the smell.

He was lying in a cross between an igloo and a beaver dam, and it smelled heavily of pollen. Kurata's nose twitched, and then he sneezed. And sneezed. And sneezed. The fit didn't pass. Crawling desperately out of the miniature wooden hut, nose and eyes running, the scientist looked blearily around.

It was a village of tiny huts on the riverbank, and in the distance he could see the waterfall he'd fallen down. His backpack was standing against the wall of the little hut, dry and unharmed. The sleeve of his labcoat hung in tatters but the long, shallow cut on his forearm was bandaged neatly in white. Near the door there was also a plate of what looked like grainy oatmeal and a clay cup of water.

"Is this a primitive civilization?" murmured Kurata, wiping his eyes. But if humans had saved him from the river and left him food, he wasn't about to turn down aid in this monster-infested country. He wolfed down the oatmeal, which tasted fruity but filling, and drained the water, thirst returning. Just then, a strange ringing sound permeated the village.

"Nap time's over!" squealed a high-pitched voice. "Wake up Yokomon!"

And pandemonium broke out. Out of every little hut there jumped four or five little creatures, the pink Yokomon Kurata had inadvertently saved earlier, and they all gathered in curious and co-centric circles about the scientist, staring with inquisitive eyes. One Yokomon jumped up a bit closer.

"We wanted to thank you for saving one of us from Demidevimon today," it said in its ridiculously thin voice, "We hope you stay in our village as long as you like-"

But as it spoke Kurata had flung on his backpack and backed away with a gaping mouth, nearly tripped over another Yokomon, and yelped.

"No, please, just leave me alone!"

The Yokomon parted in surprise and Kurata sprinted through the confusion, heels flashing. He cleared the village, the river bank, the sound of the waterfall, and ran on through the forest, which was growing denser now. At a distance where the silence pervaded the tree trunks and his legs were giving out, Kurata slumped panting against a tree to rest. And promptly fell right through it.

The digital projection of the tree flickered like a hologram and Kurata was inside the thick trunk, hollow and blue and sterile and empty.

He looked around, ascertained his relative safety, and huddled into a faintly trembling pose, arms around his knees. His heart rate and breathing calmed slowly, safely secluded in the fake tree. Once rational again, Kurata dug out his navy digivice and set to work attempting to signal his companions. Returning without ever attempting to find them really wasn't an option.

- - - -

Merin was typing frantically, locked onto a signal. She hadn't left the lab the previous night, and consequently her reaction time had suffered for it. The corner where she was sitting, surrounded by large machinery and computer screens and littered with gum wrappers and several thermoses of black coffee, was the control center for navigating and tracking the digivices. The dark blue dot she'd been furiously searching out was nowhere to be found.

And then something in labcoat pocket started to beep. Merin reached for her cell phone, but it was silent. She dug into the pocket, withdrawing her mother's pocketwatch, a capped scalpel, some mints… and then she held the digivice Kurata had reverse-engineered from the one Daimon had thrust him the week before. It was purple and grey and blinking furiously and beeping.

Merin held it up to her face and pressed a button at random.

"Merin, answer me!"

"Kurata!"

His face was scratched up but he looked relieved on the small screen.

"Hold on, let me hook this up so I can track you… the rest of the team are safe and searching for you."

Merin fiddled with the device and improvised a connection, Kurata's dot suddenly appearing on her screen a distance away from everyone else.

"I've got a lock on you. Have you made contact with any locals?"

"Contact? This place is infested with monsters. They attacked me! And the environment's the most hostile thing – quicksand, waterfalls, rapids. This place isn't inhabitable by anyone but the savage little Digimon beasts that live here and feed on each other!"

"Would they present a danger to a lost baby then?"

"Frankly I'd be surprised if there's even a piece of the baby left," Kurata said indifferently, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'm just concerned about how I'm, we're, going to get out of here."

"Well, don't use the portal unless there's an emergency," stressed Merin somewhat apologetically. "Find a good spot to stay put and don't light any fires. The team's heading up the mountains in your direction and I'll lead them to you. They're going to speak with some leader called Merukimon."

"Fantastic. As if I'd be thick enough to light a fire to attract more of those horrors. They'd probably swarm…"

"Don't forget to use the water filter you brought if you drink anything, and log-"

But Kurata looked up from his device sharply and Merin stopped. "Something's coming. I-I'll check in later if I can."

And he cut the connection.

Cautiously, Kurata stuck his head out of the tree, then emerged, slinking to another tree, real this time. The flapping of insectoid wings, a dull buzzing, was growing closer, and then a rhinoceros beetle the size of its namesake buzzed into view. Its four claw-tipped arms were grappling with another, equally furious-looking Digimon with bunny ears and machine-guns for arms.

Kabuterimon was redirecting the bullet-fire from Gargomon's gattling guns, and the rabbit-beast was beating its jean-clad, sinewy legs against the bug.

Kurata stood gaping as the Kabuterimon above him gave a vicious electric shock to the Gargomon, which used its guns as clubs and smashed the exo-skeleton soundly with a great crack and crackle of lightning.

With a great snap one of the Kabuterimon's arms was ripped off and flew into the tree Kurata was hiding behind, slamming it hard enough to shower him with leaves and twigs. He whimpered but remained completely transfixed.

The stray bullets from Gargomon, meanwhile, grazed the forest, raising smoke and bouncing off trees. He directed them at the bug and it took a number of blows to the abdomen, screeching out in agonizing pain, before it sunk its claws into the Gargomon's side in a last effort.

"Bunny Pummel!" exclaimed the Gargomon almost comically, and proceeded to viciously beat the insect with its revolver-hands. There was a final crunch, and then the beetle shimmered.

Kurata pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose in horrified fascination and then the Kabuterimon dissolved into chunks, into pixels of data which reconfigured into a large, patterned egg.

"Haha!" exclaimed the Gargomon in an excited voice, and then it began to glow and shrink until it resembled a bunny with overlarge ears, crossed with a terrier.

The Terriermon gamboled away, laughing, and the egg remained behind. Kurata, who'd at some point or another fallen to his knees, rose slowly and approached the egg. It lay innocently still. Kurata nudged it and sprang back but it rolled over and stopped.

Uncertainly he took out the handgun from his backpack and trained it at the egg.

"Would it regenerate if…?" he wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," came a voice from behind him. Kurata jumped violently and nearly dropped his 9mm, pulling the trigger reflexively. The egg dissolved into data a second time and reformed, same as before.

A red and purple rabbit-like creature with reptilian skin and an impressive tail of feathers was glaring at Kurata, crackling with anger.

"What kind of monster are you anyway? Going around shooting innocent babies! Shame on you! I'm Elecmon and I won't stand for it!"

Kurata took several steps back, preparing to run, and backed into a tree.

"Thunder strike!" cried Elecmon, releasing a bolt of electricity at the scientist. Kurata dove down onto the ground and the lightning grazed the tree he'd been standing in front of.

"N-no, please, don't-!"

"I'm here to take the egg. Hand it over and no one gets hurt!"

Kurata backed away from the egg, gun now trained on the Elecmon and trembling in his hands. He took a few more steps back and then turned tail and ran, legs burning again, rather than risk a fight with the furious creature, leaving the egg, the Elecmon, and the scorched clearing far behind.

He was running higher up the mountain, where the ground began to turn rocky and sloped steeper and the forest thinned out into separate copses. There was less cover and terrain was rough, but there seemed to be fewer signs of life up here.

Panting, Kurata paused on an outcropping of rock that offered a sheer drop into the forest below and a breathtaking view. He set down his backpack and stretched out on top of it, feeling boneless and sore and completely drained from running and fear.

It was getting toward sunset, and in the half-twilight Kurata suddenly spotted a twisting trail of smoke from higher up on the mountain. Wearily, he rose and made his way in the direction of the smoke. On his digivice, he could now see the dots congregated in the same general direction and hardly any distance away. He gave the communicator a shake.

"Trust Daimon to invent a useless device with no range," he complained half-heartedly, hiking his glasses higher up on his sweaty face and climbing toward the smoke. For some reason his connection to Merin would not work again, so he concentrated on using his last reserve of energy on finding the others.

The muscle of group, Satsuma, was carrying the tents, while provisions were split up between the Criers. After Misuzu, Kurata's load was the lightest – recording logs sealed in water-resistant bags and various instruments to assess the new world. No survival tools aside from the frying pan and gun, and certainly nothing to help him last the night or restore his energy aside from a battery-powered kettle and some green tea. He dug through his things and found a lollipop, which he stuffed into his mouth greedily, staining his lips and tongue dark red.

On the small sugar-rush, the scientist scaled the mountain and approached a crack in the mountainside. Further he could see the ocean stretching, darkly ominous. Daimon's voice echoed ahead, and Kurata hurried forward.

"We're going to find this Infinite Ice Ridge," Daimon was saying cheerfully, the group all sitting on logs they'd dragged into the little ravine around a merry campfire that bathed them all in an orange glow in the half-light. Behind them further in the ravine Satsuma had set up several tents. They were all facing the open ocean far below the cliff face, entirely too open to attack in Kurata's opinion.

As he scaled the last few steps and the group came nearly into view, a flash of orange suddenly assailed Kurata's vision – a flaming lynx with enormous claws and vicious-looking teeth had jumped before him, following a dart of some smaller Digimon that hid from view. The Lynxmon gave a frustrated roar and then it spotted Kurata and opened its mouth, bearing its teeth in a predatory snarl. It stalked forward.

Kurata's grey eyes reflected the orange, flaming body. He had the distinct impression that he was floating above himself, incapable of budging the slightest. His lips formed several words but nothing articulate came out. The Lynxmon pounced, and Kurata's weary muscles couldn't respond in time.

The heavy, bruising paws sent Kurata reeling onto his back as Lynxmon jumped clear over him after bowling over its prey, as though wishing for more of a fight. The flaming paws had only scorched his shoulders though Kurata was certain the Lynxmon would soon rectify this by causing some fatal damage. But his vocal cords were his own again.

"Ah! Help! Somebody-a-ah!" he careened out of the way as the Lynxmon jumped at him, this time training its claws to pierce flesh. Kurata backed away into the cliff behind him, whole body quivering uncontrollably. The Lynxmon prepared to finish its prey and crouched low…

And then as it sprang up, teeth snapping, Daimon came from out of nowhere and with all his usual confidence rammed a fist into the Digimon's snout and before it could react, had brought his arms behind his head and leveraged its large form around as though it were another sparring partner and he was wrestling back home. The Lynxmon went flying over the edge of the cliff and into the ocean, where it landed on a school of fish and Gomamon amid the roiling waves in a splash and hiss of water on flame. Kurata approaching Daimon, still trembling, gun in hand

"Th-thanks," said Kurata faintly, looking ready to pass out.

"What do you think you're doing, drawing a weapon on a Digimon! Are you trying to provoke an attack?" scowled Daimon, wiping his hands on his pants. "We're supposed to be fostering diplomatic relations here."

"But I only just-"

Below the ledge there was a commotion in the water. The scientists leaned forward to see what was happening, their argument interrupted before it began, and caught the glow of Gomamon as it digivolved into an Ikakumon, a horned seal that looked angry at having just taken a direct hit from the falling Lynxmon.

"Let's get out of here," said Daimon, grabbing Kurata painfully by his bandaged left arm and dragging him into the more sheltered camp. "We'll talk about this later."

- - - - -


	6. Chapter 6

- - - - -

That night they partnered up in their tents, the Criers together furthest from the ocean, then Yushima sharing with Satsuma as the two private investigators, and in the most exposed tent Daimon bunked with Kurata. There was no assigned watch.

Daimon sat up writing down the flora and fauna he had encountered in a messy journal by lamplight. Kurata had fallen into a fitful sleep as soon as he'd gotten into the camp and though Daimon considered him foolish and had called him a coward to his face, he hadn't meant to scare the man off dinner when he'd already went without food for over a day.

Daimon, in the athletic sweatshirt he wore beneath his jacket and fleece pants, was cozily warm as the temperature dropped into the night, but his colleague was still in grimy daywear, a light shirt and labcoat, and resting on top of his sleeping bag.

"Stubborn fool," thought Daimon, glancing up at Kurata in irritation which turned to concern. Daimon rose silently and walked over to Kurata's bunk.

The younger scientist was twitching lightly from side to side as though caught in a nightmare, skin flushed and covered in a film of sweat. The bandages on his left arm which had blended into his labcoat before were now stained darkly red.

"Damn it," swore Daimon softly, "We don't have time for this…" He draped Kurata's sleeping bag over him and hastily dug in his first aid kit, slicing the old bandages off and smearing antibiotic ointment over the long gash in his assistant's arm.

Kurata's eyelashes fluttered and he moaned but didn't wake up as Daimon rewrapped his arm in fresh bandages and put a hand to his forehead.

"Warm, but you'll just have to hang on a few days 'til we find Ikuto," Daimon muttered, rising.

The following morning Yushima and Satsuma made a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon over a campfire. The sun had risen and shone brightly on the whole team. The Criers and their private investigators were eating a satisfying breakfast and discussing their course of action while awaiting Daimon, who had dragged Kurata with him a slight ways off where a river met the ocean and cascaded down in clear pools that sparkled in the sunlight.

Kurata was lethargic and stiff and did not appreciate being dragged around like a ragdoll, and he made this clear to Daimon.

"Listen, Kurata," replied Daimon, sitting down on a boulder on the stream side and beginning to strip to his boxers, revealing a tanned and well-muscled body. "We can't afford to be slowed by anything right now. I know you're running a fever – no, don't protest, I tell you – but you need to wash up in this stream (and it's quite warm) and then eat. Now, get out of those lab clothes."

Kurata fixed Daimon with a disdainful look although he had turned slightly pink, and Daimon slid down the boulder into one of the shallow pools, splashing the bright water into foam.

"Don't make me drag you here in your coat!" Daimon called, and Kurata frowned darkly but did as he was told, laying out his clothes on the boulders. Thin, pale, and shivering Kurata climbed gingerly into the water. Two purple, paw-shaped bruises were darkening below his collar bone.

The stream was surprisingly warm, and rushed pleasantly through the pools. Kurata washed out his labcoat and returned it to its original color, and then they dried themselves and their clothes on the sun-soaked boulders while Daimon explained some more features he wished to develop in his digivice iC.

"I want to be able to store Digimon inside," he was saying brightly.

"Ah, as a defense mechanism."

"That's not what I had in mind, but yes, essentially," Daimon frowned. "Why are you so terrified anyway?"

"Because they're monsters, Daimon. They attack first and ask questions later – can't you see that? Why are you so set on defending these creatures when they'd just as soon rip your throat out?"

Daimon shook his head. "No, you're wrong. They're just defending their home."

"They even appear in our world and wreak havoc. The sooner we find Ikuto the safer we'll be," Kurata shot back, donning his now-dry coat.

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast before we set out," said Daimon, abandoning his assistant's reasoning for a lost cause.

- - - - -

The climate changes were drastic in the digital world, as the expedition team found out as they gained elevation. Snow was blowing harshly and the whole team had bundled up against the blizzard, making their way towards the top of the mountain. Kenji lagged behind, but Misuzu raced ahead, eager and desperate for some trace of her young son.

Thus it was a sudden shock to the entire team when, with an exclamation of pain, Misuzu dropped to her knees in the snow and began to weep bitterly. Breathing hard, Kenji rushed to her and gasped as well.

The rest of the team stood at a respectful distance as the Criers wept over the empty crib and rusting toy of their lost son.

"We need to get out of this open," Satsuma called over the howling wind once a decent amount of time had passed. Everyone had pulled winter coats over their clothing making the team a bright beacon on the snow-white mountainside, and the temperature was dropping.

Daimon approached the grieving couple and gave them what few words of comfort he could.

"Now, team," he addressed the expedition once they were gathered together, "We're going to keep at it. Maybe this leader knows something, so let's get out of this cold and get some answers!"

Misuzu clung to the crib and wouldn't let go, so eventually Kenji agreed to carry it on his back and the expedition moved on, across a narrow snow-swept ledge and into a ravine of ice. A hush fell upon the team as they entered this sinister shelter and the wind died down.

Kurata broke the silence with a violent sneeze that wrenched his head down and sent the snow flying out of his hair.

"Merukimon! We come in peace!" cried out Daimon.

"Idiot," muttered Kurata, and happily the echo didn't amplify his voice as it had Daimon's. No one noticed SaberLeomon stalking the team into the Infinite Ice Ridge.

- - - -

Merin had received several calls from the Confidentiality Ministry's Director Hashima and was frankly growing quite tired of being pestered. The exploration team had all disappeared from radar four days ago, and she had a hospital team ready and at attendance at all hours – they kept switching off and looking annoyed with her – ready for the arrival of the researchers in any state.

Thus when the digital portal did flash back into existence inside the glass enclosure, Merin jumped and had a number of doctors and nurses assist the team as they poured out, looking panicked.

Merin was standing before the gate in preparation and as the pale and feverish Kurata stumbled out first and passed out, she helped the doctors catch him and assisted the rest of the team. The Criers were rushed out of the lab the fastest due to shock, while Satsuma and Yushima looked shaken but well.

"Where's Daimon? What happened after you entered the Infinite Ice Ridge?" asked Merin once Kurata was lying asleep on a stretcher and the two private inspectors were pushed down and forcefully examined.

"Saberleomon attacked us," said Satsuma shortly, ignoring the nurse taking his blood pressure. "We ran further in and met the leader Merukimon, who had the same idea as Saberleomon."

"They thought we were trespassing, and no one knew anything about Ikuto," contributed Yushima. "Then Kurata used the time oscillating device to get us back while Daimon remained to fight off the Digimon."

"Daimon stayed behind?" Merin looked sharply to the digital portal, which had closed. "But… maybe I can trace him…"

Yushima took Merin's hand and stopped her from rushing back over to the computer.

"You look about as exhausted as we are, Merin, and we'll be of no use to anyone if we don't get some sleep. Go take Kurata back and we'll meet tomorrow to find a way to save Daimon."

"You should have seen the way he was fighting -" Satsuma reassured her, "That Digimon had no chance. You go on – I'll give Hashiba and the government our report."

"A human fighting a Digimon… he is mad," Merin muttered, turning to the doctor. "Hey, I need an ambulance to give me a ride…"

- - -

Merin had the disgruntled doctors help her carry Kurata into his apartment and put him to bed. She paced the kitchen nervously while her colleague was attended to.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked the doctor who emerged, closing the bedroom door.

"He's just bruised and scratched up a bit, but he'll be fine," the doctor assured her, "He seems to have just gotten over a fever, so with a good rest and once the shock wears off he'll be good as new."

Merin highly doubted this from what she'd seen of the expedition's experiences, but she thanked the doctor and allowed him to leave and let his false diagnosis stand.

Kurata did indeed wake up the next morning, and he did so with a determined purpose.

- - - - -

The following months the rest of the team managed to contact Daimon via his digivice and Satsuma and Yushima received instructions to form DATS.

"While Daimon's on some far-fetched quest," scoffed Kurata.

The Criers had retreated, bereaved, to their country home in the mountains to grieve their son. Only Merin and Kurata still went to the lab constantly, Kurata working feverishly on some secret inventions while Merin researched the digivice and attempted to pry Kurata's experiences out of him with limited success.

She had found her own apartment and moved in soon after Kurata had recovered, and she lived across the street from the labs in a high-rise building from which she was level with the ninth floor windows and could glimpse Kurata tinkering with the lab's computers in the later hours of the night.

Merin spent half the week working the lab, and the other publishing studies of digital matter for exclusive scientific journals that were out-of-bounds for the public and strictly controlled in circulation by the government. The pay was good, but the work was becoming dull without any news from Daimon or major breakthroughs.

Meanwhile Kurata was retreating into himself and Merin attempted, without knowing what he was doing, to help. Thus it was a complete surprise to her when, almost a year after the original expedition, Kurata invited her to go back to the digital world with him.

"But you hated it there," said Merin, completely confused. "Why return? Why now?"

Kurata smiled, but it was more of a sneer, and something was off about it. His glasses glimmered too brightly for Merin to catch his eye.

"To forge a new world, Merin, now that we finally have the means. I've convinced the government to hand us out protection. We'll have guns this time, and we'll go for them first. They won't know what hit them."

"But I thought Daimon was making some sort of peace with the Digimon-" interjected Merin uncertainly.

"We haven't heard from Daimon since he took off to search for the mythical Drasil character," sneered Kurata dismissively. "For all we know the Digimon killed Daimon, or are holding him prisoner."

"You're right…" said Merin slowly.

"Of course," said Kurata easily, fixing his glasses. "Come and help me rid the world of evil Digimon, Merin. Together we can save countless lives."

"What are you proposing?"

"We can finally solve the Digimon problem," Kurata explained, looking at Merin through pleased, half-lidded eyes. "Let me show you. You recall how I discovered the rebirth programming in Digimon? Well, I'm sure you realized I've been searching for a means to override that. And I've finally discovered the way to finish them off, for good. No more coming back to plague us again. Oh, no. This time they'll be dead for good. Let me introduce you to Gizumon…"

Merin stared as Kurata pulled the curtains back from the glass enclosure where he'd been obscuring his latest project. It was a digimon, but it wasn't anything Merin had seen before: violet and green, twisted metal and limbs and a single yellow eye.

"You engineered it," Merin gasped.

"Yes," Kurata nodded, bringing a hand up to fix his glasses and holding his finger up to them contemplatively. "And Gizumon has the power to delete Digimon for real. I also saw you stumble over that curious signal, Merin, and what better way to explore those ancient ruins than with Gizumon? We'll have a team of trained soldiers accompany our little excursion. So what do you say, hmm?"

Merin looked up into Kurata's smiling face and it struck her how much she had missed really working with him. They had both changed subtly in the past year, and behind the ambitious gleam in Kurata's grey eyes Merin could see a hint of that hunted expression that had been written clearly across his face when he had stumbled out of the digital portal and passed out.

"I say we begin to prepare," said Merin finally, banishing all thoughts of Lansteiner from her mind. "We've an offensive to plan."

Kurata chuckled lightly and tucked a strand of wavy hair behind Merin's ear, shadows falling over his face. "Indeed, my dear Merin. It's time to strategize."


	7. Chapter 7

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The digital world was like nothing Merin had ever seen. Hashiba's team of uniformed guards swung their heavy machine guns and Kurata's legion of Gizumon floated behind them, but Merin was unaware of their presence.

"Set up camp by that stream and stay off the sand," Kurata ordered authoritatively, and the black-clad guards began to erect large, military-grade tents. Kurata smirked as the grassland was flattened and walked over to his invention.

"Secure the perimeter, Gizumon. Shoot at any Digimon that moves."

Satisfied he approached Merin, who was standing aside from the commotion. Her lab coat, crisp and white and very recently stained blue with more of the copper ions she was so partial to using as conductors, was fluttering in the breeze.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Kurata asked, observing Merin's awe with lazy pleasure.

She turned to him and her darker grey eyes were clouded with a greed that Kurata found enrapturing. "I can't wait to begin. There's so much here to take advantage of, so many resources to tap, so many discoveries to make and secrets to learn…"

Kurata led Merin over to his Gizumon.

"I intend to make them pay for ever invading the human world," he said lightly, "And I'm sure you'll agree with me they pose a danger to us. So!" he smiled, "Gizumon, I order you to obey Merin's commands second only to my own. Is that understood?"

The Gizumon flashed its bright eye in confirmation.

"Hmm, good. Then, why don't we go scout out the area, you and I? Gizumon, come with us."

And as the guards continued to make preparations, Kurata and Merin strode off side-by-side into the jungle, Gizumon trailing obediently behind them.

- - - - -

They made their way through a picturesque rainforest, vines hanging off trees draped with colorful blooms and sweet-smelling flowers. Kurata sneezed and Gizumon demonstrated its power by zapping a nearby Mushroomon, which dissolved into data until its egg reformed and also dissolved, disappearing completely.

"Impressive… though it was hardly attacking us."

"Well, whatever it was doing I'm allergic," sniffed Kurata. "And anyway, it's not as if they're really alive. They're just data."

Merin tilted her head slightly. "You know, I thought so first, but I'm not so sure right now. Before I discovered that signal I was experimenting with the digital matter and it is volatile in proximity to human emotions. There's something more than just data to these creatures, though I'm not sure what…"

"Emotion? Hmm, interesting. Do look into it later. But tell me about this signal."

"It's just a bit further ahead, and it's emitting pulses of unbelievable power. Oh, what was that-" something had flashed dark purple and yellow ahead of them between the trees, but when Kurata glanced that way it was gone. Merin shook her head.

"It's gone now. Besides, Gizumon can take excellent care of us, I assure you." Kurata looked around warily despite his reassuring words, but there was nothing suspicious. Merin, he noticed, was examining her old purple digivice iC.

"We're quite safe on this trip. Those Criers are back in the country where they belong and Satsuma and Yushima are organizing their little police force in Japan. Or are you trying to detect Daimon, our sub-standard employer?" Kurata raised his eyebrows contemptuously, which only allowed his glasses to slide further down his nose.

"No, I'm just trying to find a cartography program. Daimon never got around to it. We should be near the signal, now. But speaking of that DATS organization-" Merin glanced up curiously, "they claim to work with Digimon. I never understood – how do they control them?"

"Well, Gizumon have no free will of their own, so they obey only me and now you. As for other Digimon, though, you're absolutely right," Kurata said obligingly, "They may claim to have a relationship with them but they will eventually turn on their so-called partners."

"So, if this signal we detected is what we think it to be, how would that make us any different?" posed Merin.

Kurata shot her a glance that was half annoyed, half pleased. "Yes, well that would change things."

"You want to create Hybrids, don't you? Without any licensing or questions," observed Merin shrewdly.

"Yare, yare, aren't we sharp. Yes, yes perhaps."

"It would be more efficient to find a way of controlling Digimon rather than creating hybrids," said Merin decisively.

"Hmm?"

"I won't argue with you if you refuse to see my point, but Kurata, imagine the paperwork involved. And the ethics are shady, too. Not to mention the risk. You'd pretty much have a case of disappearing identities, and what when the hybrid decides to go rob a bank with its newfound strength? I wouldn't trust power to the likes of anyone willing to be experimented on. They'd turn against you sooner than actual Digimon would."

"Fair point," Kurata conceded, "But I believe it would be possible with the right approach."

"Nothing short of blackmail-" Merin began somewhat sarcastically, but stopped short as they emerged into a clearing.

A vast pyramid rose in steps, chipped yellow stones twined in green ivy and overgrown by creeping moss. It was a sacred monument gone to seed, and something majestic lingered about the crumbling ruin.

"This is it…"

Together they approached the ruins, Kurata switching on a flashlight. A passage led into a dark interior and out of sight. The walls of the passage were ornate with curly hieroglyphs that sprawled the vast building blocks in dark swirls.

"They recorded their history," said Merin, running her fingertips over a symbol. "They're clearly more sentient than we thought, perhaps even intelligent."

"Hardly intelligent," scoffed Kurata. "But they do write of… hmm, _interesting_."

"You can translate their recordings?"

Kurata leaned forward in that mild curiosity he displayed toward any new, intriguing puzzle, nudging his glasses delicately higher with a single finger. "Why, yes. I think I can. It says here that this Digimon wakes up once every thousand years to wreak havoc on this world… and that the keepers of this place were so terrified they locked the dormant Digimon in a sealed chest."

"These Digimon, they're sentient beings then. With a recorded history and primitive civilizations to rival ours."

Kurata turned to Merin with annoyance written on his face. "So what? They're savage beasts who attacked us. They killed your family! They as good as killed my father. Why are you defending them?"

His accusation gave a slight echo and they suddenly realized how far they'd come into the darkness of the pyramid, and that the passage had narrowed significantly as they traced the writing down the walls. There was another flash of dark blue and gold but Gizumon was nowhere to be seen, having been left far behind when the corridor grew smaller.

"I just think that maybe we've acted too soon, and there's more data to be collected. Maybe all out _genocide_ won't win us any Nobel Prizes."

"Merin, we're saving the world. We can't possibly coexist with these monsters, so we're ensuring our own survival. There's no other way!"

"Listen to yourself," Merin said quietly, and the echoes died down. She took several more steps forward and struck a match to an old torch on the wall, which lit immediately. "Look, they left illumination, a history… these primitive civilizations aren't so different from us. And yes, some of them deserve to be killed for their violence. But we can't slaughter an entire population based on a skewed standard! For all we know our world might drive digital matter insane – our emotions affect them after all. We should be working to separate both worlds to ensure safety, not trying to wipe Digimon out of existence."

"They'll all turn on us eventually," Kurata shook his head, frowning, "Why give them a chance to kill us first? Why are you freaking out, anyway? What do they matter to you?"

"It just doesn't seem…right." Merin concluded hopelessly shrugging her shoulders.

"Hah! Merin, you can be restricted by rigid dogma or you can let science lead you to a whole new world. Is it right to be invading their world right now, hmm? Was it right of Daimon to go off on his own?"

"I don't give a damn about Daimon and you know it," Merin finally snapped. "But you, Kurata, I'm worried for you. And besides, imagine the studies, the vaccines to be derived from here. This is a wealth of resources and you're proposing we slaughter the population without a thought to the consequences."

"You're the one who isn't considering consequences-" Kurata returned, pointing a finger at Merin accusingly, shadows flickering across his face and in a very unpleasant expression indeed. But then he stopped, hand outstretched, and his face paled.

Merin wheeled around but there was nothing behind her.

"What is it?"

"I thought I saw-" Kurata broke off, "_Gizumon_! Come here NOW!"

This time Merin saw a flash of crimson and white, too. And then Kurata had grabbed her by the sleeve and jerked her out of the way just in time. There was a gnash of teeth on empty air and Merin gave a startled gasp.

It was the size of a head and it had a face, draped in ragged white and grey cloth with inhuman, glowing blue and white eyes and an enormous mouth that bared a grin of sharp teeth. Merin caught a glimpse before they rounded a corner of the maze-like catacombs in the pyramid, all dark save for their trembling flashlights.

"What _was_ that?" exclaimed Merin as they rushed along narrow alleys and winding stairs, climbing further up and away from the Digimon.

"I tried to warn you!" Kurata panted, pulling her along. "That was Bakemon."

"As soon as we get to the top Gizumon can float up to meet us," Merin reasoned breathlessly, watching Kurata attempt to kick open a door and then try to pull it open the other way when he nearly fell over, then finally taking a shoulder to it.

They rushed through into a large chamber, the true interior where a central staircase led up to a platform with a sealed chest.

"That must be it," Kurata muttered, stepping forward as though entranced. Merin heaved a nearby rock in front of the closed door and followed Kurata up the stairs.

He was kneeling next to the chest. Without hesitation he opened it to reveal a black and red digiegg, glimmering over bright green digital matter. Kurata's glasses reflected the dancing light, but his eyes seemed to gleam with something else entirely.

Merin approached Kurata, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Grab it and let's go," she urged.

Kurata extended his hands and lifted the egg as if it were made of glass, delicately wrapping it in his lab coat and tucking it away almost tenderly.

Behind them, the door snapped open with a bang.

"I've got you intruders now!" the Bakemon snarled in its hoarse, familiar voice. "If you humans think you can disturb the rest of a Demon Lord Digimon, you're wrong!"

"Demon..?" Merin mouthed uncertainly. "Are you protecting this Digimon?"

"Protecting?" Bakemon gave a hoarse laugh. "I was Belphemon's closest servant before he went into his Sleep Mode! Now I've kept him asleep longer than he'd planned, hahaha!"

Merin turned to Kurata to see him gaping in fear and backtracking almost convulsively. Kurata was clutching the egg to his side and had backed away against a sealed door at the top of the stairs.

"I've used his energy to digivolve from Demidevimon, and now I have nearly enough!" Bakemon was gloating. "Maybe I'll finally get a taste of you humans… Zombie Claw!"

The last exclamation was accompanied by Bakemon's flailing appendages, which grew and released ghostly claws flying at the scientists. Kurata had backed completely against the wall and the claws dislodged loose pebbles and rocks that showered both humans. Merin, more directly in the line of fire, had ducked low on the stone floor to avoid getting hit.

"Can't we find some sort of peaceful solution-" she ducked a large boulder Bakemon had sent flying at them. "Kurata! Do something!"

"Zombie Claw!" with a fiendish chuckle the Bakemon drifted closer.

But the scientist was paralyzed and Bakemon was approaching. Desperately, Merin grabbed the empty chest, still full of digital matter, and chucked it onto the Bakemon. Bakemon floundered under its weight, disoriented and temporarily blind.

"Gizumon!" Kurata shrieked again, but Merin grabbed him by the collar and shook hard.

"Snap out of it, come on!" Kurata's head bobbed, glasses sliding down and hair flying, but his eyes cleared somewhat and he followed Merin when she ran down the stairs and past the floundering Bakemon, which had finally thrown off the chest, now glowing with the digital matter.

"You fool!" its voice was changing as it began to glow brighter. Halfway across the chamber the two scientists froze in astonishment. "You just gave me the power to digivolve! The vestiges of Belphemon's strength are _mine_!" And the Bakemon laughed wildly as it was encased in a cocoon of light, voice growing lower and smoother.

Merin and Kurata exchanged a glance that communicated their scientific fascination was far outweighed by their instinct for survival, and bolted out of the chamber and down the winding passages together.

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A/N: Cliffhanger. Gets worse before it gets better. Amazing commish by splash on deviantart of earlier scenes with Merin and Kurata at

http : //splashgottaito . deviantart . com/art/Commission - Kurata-OC - 117418148

Remove spaces to view. Oh, and I edited Bakemon's digivolution line just a tad. Been wanting in incorporate one of my (other) favorite villains for a while.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Stole Devkyu's idea of Belphemon partnering Kurata here, obviously. Giving credit now.

Also, my life is superfuckedup right now, that's a word. Lots of shit going on. College deferrments, med stuff, problems, school. I mean it's the usual, of course, but worse. So if you review, you could make my day and stave off depression. I'm not blackmailing. Really. Ahem. Anyway, showtime:

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- - - - -

Bakemon's laughter rang behind them, but the scientists pressed on, panting, their sense of direction long scrambled. A stone door stood cracked open and Kurata wiggled through, Merin following, and they both collapsed to the floor behind it, hiding and wheezing.

"I think we lost him," whispered Merin between breaths.

"We seem to have become lost as well," observed Kurata, glancing around. They were in a large chamber illuminated by light falling through a high window over-grown with vines.

"So that egg, that's Belphemon…"

"Belphemon," Kurata repeated reverently. "Yes you are, you adorable little thing…"

Merin raised an eyebrow. "I thought all Digimon were beasts and monsters and savages?"

"Aww, but he's so _cute_… and once he hatches I'll invent a way to control him and avoid all that hassle." Kurata straightened up from kneeling over Belphemon's egg, looking oddly defensive.

"Or you could raise him like your own and foster a relationship by overcoming nature with nurture," Merin smirked.

"You're just being ridiculous now," Kurata crooned at the egg. "And anyway, if they were sentient why wouldn't they have approached us in a diplomatic capacity? They're killing machines, Merin, the sooner you accept that the sooner you'll learn. They have guns for arms and they're a threat to humans. The ultimate predator."

"That village of Mushroomon, they were peaceful. So was the herd of those grazing Digimon, and the flocks overhead. They're not all out to get us, Kurata. That's like saying all scientists want to blow up the earth."

"Couldn't blame them if they did," Kurata muttered, "But we'll argue later. I'm confident that I can convince you to see reason."

"I never knew you to be so narrow-minded," said Merin grudgingly. "There's got to be a way to get to that window…" she tugged on a vine and it crawled back up the wall instead. Merin jerked back her hand in alarm.

Kurata was leaning back against a wall where he'd placed Belphemon's egg, having donned his lab coat and wrapped the egg in thick cushioning vines. "I don't know why you're being so unreasonable," he shrugged lazily. "I mean, I'm safeguarding our world. I should be honored."

"I think you know you're fooling yourself," said Merin decisively, eyes flashing. "And once you take this far enough the Digimon will play victim to your self-righteousness."

"The Digimon? If there's a victim here, it's me! I was attacked! I still have the scar!" Kurata slid his left sleeve up to reveal a long red claw-mark.

"So veterans who come home with bullets should hold grudges against nations, then? We're explorers, Kurata, you were doing fieldwork. Daimon should have taken care of his team but ultimately this is what happens in the real world!"

Kurata laughed bitterly. "Well, then, you want more Digimon to break through into our world and kill more people? Your family wasn't enough?"

Merin took a step back, expression closing off. Kurata seemed to know he'd gone too far because he took a step toward her.

"What a delicious argument," drawled a cold voice from the door, which was flung open. "Your voices carried through the ruins, you know. For two scientists you aren't very intelligent."

The tall silhouette stepped into the room, and his fangs glistened in the light, figure looking like it had stepped out of a gothic nightmare. Vamdemon smiled with his purple lips, pale skin offsetting violently blue eyes and a black and crimson cape over his navy ensemble. Kurata seemed torn between terror and incredulity at the creature.

"Bloody hell, it's Halloween," snapped Merin. Kurata let out something that was between a whimper and a giggle.

"I really must thank you properly for helping me to digivolve," Vamdemon turned to Merin, narrowing his eyes in contemplation behind his scarlet mask.

"I would still be a mere Bakemon if it hadn't been for you. Yes," Merin took another instinctive step back, and Vamdemon's lips curved.

"I was forced to serve the seven Demon Lords but no longer – now I have come into my own," Vamdemon continued in a low tone, crossing the room in several long strides to stand before Merin "And it's really thanks to you," he extended a gloved hand to Merin and she blanched, but Vamdemon merely tilted her chin up. Out of the corner of her eye Merin saw another flash of dark navy and gold.

"Get your hands off the human," snarled a slightly hoarse voice, and the next moment Vamdemon had sprung back, scorch marks steaming on the ground where he'd been standing before.

"Wizardmon! Look at how the mighty have fallen," sneered Vamdemon.

Wizardmon directed his gold staff at Vamdemon, standing directly in front of Merin.

"Make another move, vampire, and we'll see who falls," he said smoothly.

"Are you protecting a human?" jeered Vamdemon, "You, one of the Seven? I used to serve you, but I've hated you Demon Lords from the start. And now I can defeat you after I finish off Belphemon!"

Vamdemon raised his cape as though preparing for an attack.

"Grisly-"

"Thunder Blaster!"

Wizardmon was faster – the gold staff shot a bolt of electricity that only glanced forcefully off Vamdemon's cloak but succeeded in interrupted his attack.

"Oderint dum metuant**," **said Wizardmon. "You aren't worth my time."

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes, then turned around and gestured with his staff at a completely surprised Merin, who began to levitate off the ground.

"Merin! Don't leave me!"

"Magic Spell!" shouted Wizardmon, and jumped up through the high window, snatching Merin's sleeve and dragging her with him as though she was weightless. Vamdemon gaped after them for a moment, an ugly expression crossing his face, and then he turned and his eyes landed on Kurata.

"Now it's just you and me human," he smiled nastily. "Give me the digiegg and perhaps I'll grant you a quick death."

- - -- - -

Merin and Wizardmon landed on one of the numerous balconies formed by the steps of the ruined pyramid. As soon as she touched down Merin could feel the spell lift and gravity's influence return to normal. Wizardmon turned his sapphire blue eyes to Merin and watched her regain her balance.

"I apologize for not aiding you sooner," he said somewhat abruptly, staying a non-threatening distance away. "I have been following and observing you. I had to dispatch of that abomination your companion had frankenstein'd. That Gizumon," he must have grimaced but as Merin could only see the top of his face behind his cowl-neck collar, she could only tell he'd narrowed his eyes.

"I caught flashes of you following us," Merin realized aloud, somewhat hoarsely through fear. "W-why did you destroy Gizumon? And why did you save me?"

"Your device – it resembles the one another human was carrying with him," Wizardmon indicated Merin's digivice, which she took hesitantly out of her pocket. "He gave his ally Digimon the power to digivolve. At first I was following you out of curiosity. But then I heard Vamdemon say you helped him digivolve."

"But-Gizumon-I-

"I've been searching for a means to digivolve for years," Wizardmon interrupted. "If you can help me I'll…" he sighed. "I will be in your debt."

"As for Gizumon, I caught that monster before it caught me," Wizardmon continued. "Your friend will certainly get his due from Vamdemon." He shook his head.

"Oh, Kurata…" Merin moaned in horror. "We have to go back, now!"

"Go back?"

"Yes!" Merin approached the edge of the crumbling ruin and only Wizardmon's quick reflexes saved her from a rather high fall.

"Why should we risk our lives?" Wizardmon posed, withdrawing his hand from the back of Merin's labcoat where he'd pulled her away from the ledge.

- - - - -

"Surrender the Digiegg," Vamdemon repeated forcefully, bearing down on Kurata.

But Kurata's impossibly wide grey eyes held a spark of defiance. "You're not getting Belphemon," he insisted, stepping back. His labcoat brushed the rough stone wall behind him.

"Well, I suppose it'll be more fun this way," Vamdemon grinned, fangs glinting, and stepped up to Kurata, a delighted look crossing his face when the scientist shrunk back and realized he was trapped.

Vamdemon ran a gloved finger lazily over Kurata's labcoat, tracing the collar. He leaned forward, fanged mouth brushing the curly hair above the scientist's ear, and Kurata's breathing hitched in a panicked gasp.

"Ah, but I remember you," Vamdemon drawled gleefully into his ear, "don't you smell delicious? So much fear…" he inhaled and Kurata shuddered forcibly beneath him, clutching Belphemon's egg to his stomach in both hands. Vamdemon wrapped one hand over his shoulder and grabbed Kurata's hair roughly in the other, jerking the scientist's head up to expose his throat.

"Don't you remember me? I'm offended. Really, I was the first Digimon you made contact with… and likely the last, too," Vamdemon tugged on Kurata's hair sadistically, eliciting a whimper.

"Now, now, it's really your own fault. If you hadn't given me such a delectable taste as Demidevimon I wouldn't ever have dreamt of pursuing human prey. It's nearly a year to the day I first tried," Vamdemon tore Kurata's left hand off the Digiegg and ripped aside the sleeve to trace the scar on the pale forearm with a demented relish. The claw protruding from his gloved finger left a thin trail of fresh scarlet blood over the pink scar tissue.

"What's this? Oh, you seem to be trembling, silly human-" Vamdemon began, but then Kurata's left arm, which the vampire Digimon had let fall limply to his side, came up and struck Vamdemon across the face.

Vamdemon recoiled, letting go of the top of Kurata's head with a furious hiss, mask knocked askew.

Kurata stumbled away from the wall and toward the doorway, egg still safe under his right arm, but he never made it.

"Crimson Lightning!"

The strand of energy hit the stone door like a bulldozer, and the doorway crumbled upon impact.

"Going somewhere?" Vamdemon was breathing hard. It seemed that in his freshly-digivolved state he had not yet fully mastered his attacks. But his eyes had taken on a distinctly predatory glare.

"G-Gizumon!" Kurata called, feeling the wall where the door had just been with his left hand, right encasing Belphemon protectively. "M-Merin! _Help_!"

"You're all alone," Vamdemon taunted, stalking forward. Kurata raised his left arm defensively, but-

"Not this time," Vamdemon growled, grabbing Kurata's forearm in a vice-grip and jerking the scientist to him.

"N-no, let go-" Kurata choked out, attempting to flail and pull away, but Vamdemon smiled widely.

"You shouldn't have stirred my craving, human. Time to deliver," and with a low chuckle Vamdemon twisted his other hand in Kurata's already abused hair and leaned down to brush the scientist's neck with his lips in an almost intimate gesture.

* * *

hmm? re-what? view?


	9. Chapter 9

- - - -

"If we don't get there in time…" Merin's eyes widened in frantic worry. "I-I… I won't help you unless we save Kurata immediately! That's a promise!"

Wizardmon considered Merin a moment. "Well, loyalty is a convenient trait in an ally. Very well," he offered Merin a gloved hand. "Hold on."

And once again Wizardmon floated them down to the wide window of the chamber and through a tangled curtain of vines.

Merin gasped. "What's he doing?"

Vamdemon was standing facing them, clutching the limp, white-clad figure of Kurata, face buried in the side of the scientist's neck. As they landed Vamdemon glanced up with a twisted smile, licking the blood from his lips and casually supporting the swaying Kurata by his shoulders.

"That was delectable, but do I see dessert?' Vamdemon asked, blue eyes clouded with pleasure and alighting on Merin.

"You sick bastard! Let him go!" Merin cried, racing forward.

Vamdemon merely grinned and complied, and Kurata slumped backward lifelessly. Merin barely caught his head in time. Vamdemon laughed, and his voice echoed sinisterly.

"Wizardmon, please!"

Wizardmon narrowed his eyes gravely, his sun-tipped staff glowing bright, hands upraised.

"Thunder Cloud!" he called, conjuring up a dense condensation that morphed into clouds near the ceiling of the chamber, sparking with stray lightning bolts. Wizardmon brought his staff down and the lightning fell upon Vamdemon, who wrapped himself protectively in his cloak.

When the smoke cleared, Vamdemon, slightly scorched around the edges, let out a long, mad laugh.

"That's the best you can do? Pathetic. To think that I used to worship the ground you walked on! But I have higher priorities than a fallen Demon Lord," Vamdemon gave a mock bow in Wizardmon's direction. "Keep Belphemon – you'll never wake him anyway. Nor his little human guardian. Although he was delicious, it's a shame I won't get seconds now!"

And with that Vamdemon jumped gracefully through the high window, clearing the vines and disappearing.

Wizardmon scowled darkly and muttered, "Coward," but strode over to Merin.

Kurata was lying perfectly still, eyes closed, one lens of his round glasses cracked, two puncture wounds glistening with blood on his throat. His skin looked paler than his labcoat, which was missing its left sleeve, revealing a trail of blood and bruises.

Next to his unconscious calm, Merin seemed feverish with panic. She was muttering a string of what sounded like nonsense medical facts and pressing her fingers desperately into Kurata's right wrist.

"I… oh, God, please… let there be a pulse… is that… I think, yes!" The pulse was fainter than natural, but it was present.

Wizardmon leaned over and considered the scientist, then carefully took Belphemon's egg from his slackened grasp.

"He needs immediate medical attention," Wizardmon observed. "I have some skill in healing, and I should be able to hold him in stasis, but you're going to need to act fast if you want him to live."

"Right," said Merin, biting her lip furiously. "Yes, take him back to camp. Can you float him out carefully?"

"I think I can do more than that," Wizardmon replied, though his face remained grim in concentration.

- - -

"Gizumon! Don't attack any more Digimon!" Merin ordered as soon as they reached the camp. She needn't have bothered, though, because the camp looked abandoned. It was difficult to believe that the government team had only been setting up the tents hours ago – already it looked as though a rampage had torn through the research station. No government workers nor Gizumon were to be seen, although some fractured pieces of Gizumon were strewn about.

"A herd of Jagamon's been through here," Wizardmon informed Merin, examining the footprints. He set Kurata carefully down on a bunk that had been knocked out of the collapsed tent. Merin's eyes ran over the ravaged camp in despair.

"I need to get some equipment together and see if I can find the oscillation devices…" she muttered. "How long do we have?"

Wizardmon raised a gloved hand over Kurata and placed it on his forehead. "An hour, I think, to be safe," he said after a pause. "After that the shock will set in from blood loss no matter what I may attempt to do."

Merin scrambled into the half-fallen tents. It took her twenty minutes to find an operational oscillation device, and by that time she was soaked in sweat.

"Here goes nothing," Merin said, activating the device.

Wizardmon hesitated. The portal opened before them, swirling black and green out of sight.

- - - -

Director Hashiba's office had been flooded with paperwork, and no one at the lab at Daimon's disposal was responding. Even Daimon's assistant, a reliable source in his experience, was not answering the Director.

So indignant and scowling heavily, Hashiba had his driver take him to the labs in person. When he arrived, though, the scientists had the audacity to all be absent, the labs looking as though a whirlwind had torn through them, papers strewn over keyboards and vials of chemicals upended and glistening on counters.

Behind the glass enclosure, a glow began to form. Hashiba stepped out to the adjoining labs, and when he returned a strange scene greeted his vision.

Merin was closing the door of the glass enclosure and turning to Kurata, who was lying on top of a counter, pale and immobile and eerily reminiscent of a cadaver, while a strange creature stood aside Merin and observed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hashiba stormed in, unwilling to hesitate even in the face of this distinctly odd scenario. "Where is my team of guards? What happened to-" he caught a glimpse of Kurata then, and froze for a moment, jaw working silently. "What happened here? Is he-?"

"Oh, he's alive," said Wizardmon. Hashiba rounded on him.

"What is that thing?" he asked, spittle flying in his rage and confusion. Wizardmon spared Hashiba a withering glance.

"That's an improvement on Gizumon," invented Merin, "To better understand the digital world and offer us protection. But the mission went wrong-"

"I can see that!"

"And several members of the expedition were injured. There was not trace of your men," Merin ploughed on, "But I need to work fast to save Professor Kurata, so if you'll excuse me-" she shoved past Hashiba to withdraw a stethoscope and some tubing from a cabinet, "I need to get that…"

Hashiba watched with increasing irritation as Merin disregarded his presence and bustled with the tubing, connecting it to a blood transfusion machine, looking up various indexes.

"Blood Type O," she muttered, "Of course it would be… And naturally there's no O blood here… Well, then, I guess that's lucky…"

Hashiba watched with muted alarm as Merin rolled up her sleeve and stuck a syringe inside Kurata's elbow, hooking it up to the machine and sticking the second end into her own arm with a wince.

"Director, we're going to need medical attention for acute blood loss," Merin intoned, adjusting the settings on the machine and sitting down. "Kindly call us an ambulance or another professional…" she grimaced and readjusted the needle in her arm. "And maybe some food, too. Urgently!"

Wizardmon observed the Director's internal argument and could tell the exact moment Hashiba decided to let Merin's insubordination go and do as he was told.

When the paramedics arrived, Merin was slumped over the machine which Wizardmon had turned off, supporting her head weakly on her elbow and convulsively checking Kurata's erratic pulse.

"You performed the transfusion before checking the antibodies? You realize the probability of the Major Histocompatibility Complexes matching-"

"He was dying," snapped Merin, though her voice was somewhat feeble. "Get to work-" she gestured in Kurata's direction and her arms dropped of their own accord.

The paramedics bent over Kurata, running various tests and injecting a plethora of drugs. Merin lost track of their behavior, but she knew time had passed because Wizardmon, who was sitting unobtrusively in the corner, was nodding, the brim of his steeple hat covering his eyes.

"We've done what we could," said the lead paramedic finally. "It was lucky you were able to perform the transfusion so soon, and even more fortunate that your blood seems to have been accepted by his immune system. You should eat and rest yourself, and treat mild symptoms of anemia in the next few weeks. Now that he's out of immediate danger," the paramedic wiped his forehead wearily, "What exactly happened?"

"An experiment gone wrong," Merin explained tiredly. "Something bit him. Stung rather. And acute blood loss followed."

The paramedic didn't seem satisfied but neither did he press. "Well, he's out of immediate danger. I'm honestly surprised he survived with such low blood pressure for as long as he did."

Wizardmon's blue eyes flashed from beneath his hat across the room at Merin, who gave a thin smile.

"Now that you're both stable, we're taking you to the hospital for further testing," the paramedic continued. Merin raised her arm in protest and realized that it wasn't listening to her brain.

"We took the liberty of sedating you both for compliance purposes as well as to ensure your continued good health," the lead paramedic's voice seemed to echo, his face swimming in and out of focus. Wizardmon had risen from his corner but with her last vestiges of energy Merin waved him down and away.

"Don't fight it, relax," the paramedic droned. "You're perfectly safe. We're going to make sure of it."

- - - -

* * *

Not to be petulant, but... Out of curiosity, is anyone actually reading on here?


	10. Chapter 10

_What do you get for pretending the danger's not real?  
Meek and obedient you follow the leader  
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel  
What a surprise!  
A look of terminal shock in your eyes  
Now things are really what they seem  
No, this is no bad dream._

-pink floyd

_- - - - - - - _

PART IV

_- - - - - - - _

The steady beeping sped up as Merin gained awareness. Everything was white. She was lying in the sterile hospital bed, arms laced with sensors and IV's, lines jumping irregularly on the monitors next to the bed.

Gingerly Merin sat up. The room was empty, the clock read eleven, though there were no windows so she couldn't tell whether it was night or day. She pulled the intravenous solution stand over to the bed, rolling it on its wheels, and carefully read exactly what was being injected into her before pulling out the needles and disabling the sensors with detached disinterest. The nutritive solution had done its job, and she felt none of her previous weakness when she rose.

The hospital gown fell, about twelve sizes too large, in waves around her. Her clothes were on the chair, folded neatly, and a camera followed her as she grabbed them and proceeded into the bathroom to change. Her labcoat was missing.

Looking much more human Merin stepped out of the bathroom and saw that a nurse had been in while she'd been changing – there a fresh tray of toast, oatmeal sprinkled with honey and steaming green tea on the bedside table. The bed had been made, too, and the medical equipment rolled out. She marveled at the efficiency and cast a paranoid eye about the room.

The door was locked. Merin discovered this quickly. The food didn't seem to be laced, although Merin didn't suppose it really mattered. She sat listlessly on the bed, staring into space. The clock, she noticed, had seemed to stop. That was when the door opened.

"Time for an exercise in subtlety," said the man who walked in, clad in doctor's coat and a white cap, rolling a stretcher behind him. "One second…" and he reached up to disable the camera over the door.

"Yushima!" Merin exclaimed in surprise. "What-"

"Shhhh!" Yushima said urgently. "No time. Climb under the sheets on the stretcher. We've got to get you out of here."

"But Kurata-"

"We got him already, don't you worry. They healed him up and he walked out himself. Still a smooth talker with the Director, he is. The government wanted to hang on to you, though. Something about the adverse effects of aperture science on the human body… idiots. But we'll talk later – now get on!"

Merin climbed beneath the sheets and lay still as Yushima wheeled the stretcher through long hallways. Through the thin white sheets she could tell by shadows that fell over her when someone passed them by. Yushima was humming as inconspicuously as a grown man could, rushing her along. They made it to the elevator without incident. A shadow passed in with them.

"What are you doing here?" asked Yushima harshly once the elevator doors chimed shut.

"I'll take it from here, Inspector," said a cold voice.

Merin jerked up at his voice but Kurata took a hand and firmly pressed it over her mouth through the hospital sheets, stifling any surprise and pushing her back down.

She felt the stretcher move and they were in the hallway, rolling, gaining speed… the clanging of the tiles changed to the steady hum of concrete under the wheels, and the lighting dimmed. Merin sat up, sheet falling off, and saw that Kurata was jogging with the stretcher through the emergency garage where an ambulance was pulling up, siren whining. The ramp was lowered. Smoothly, Kurata maneuvered the stretcher and hopped into the ambulance himself, white doctor's coat flying, the door shutting automatically after them.

"How now, Merin?" asked Wizardmon, perched on one of the back seats near the door.

Satsuma smiled thinly in the rearview mirror and with a jerk they were off, cars parting before them as they drove breakneck speed toward the highway.

"Turn off the siren and veer toward the country road," Kurata directed from above Merin, who was still sitting stock still on the stretcher.

"Kurata…" she bit her lip.

Kurata turned to Merin, newly-repaired glasses gleaming, and she saw that he was wearing a yellow turtle-neck below his white coat, and that it covered any marks Vamdemon may have left. Merin was precisely his height, sitting on the high stretcher while he stood before her.

Kurata place his hands deliberately on her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes.

"You're not dead," Merin said finally. Kurata laughed almost violently at this, bowing his shaking head in front of Merin in mirth and then looking up at her, breathless with amusement.

"Thanks to five pints of your blood," observed Wizardmon somewhat sardonically.

"But how did you recover so quickly?" asked Merin, still confused.

Kurata's grey eyes took on a dark emotion, laughter slipping from his face. And then he moved his hands up Merin's shoulders and pressed his mouth fiercely on hers, palms digging hard into the back of Merin's neck. She gasped in surprise and felt the tip of his tongue grazing hers, felt the heat blooming in her face and Kurata forcing closer, kiss deepening desperately, a struggle to meld at the mouth, the scientist's efforts quite thorough.

And then he pulled away, and the cold oxygen rushed back into Merin's lungs, and he straightened his coat as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, as though he hadn't just assaulted Merin's lips with bruising force.

Wizardmon cleared his throat and Kurata seemed to find his voice again.

"I did not recover quickly by any means, Merin," he said, "You were kept unconscious for three weeks. No wonder you're looking so skeletal. The rest of the team planned this escapade, your kidnapping if you will. And once I'd recovered most of my strength after being discharged last week, I set to work securing your release. The authorities were not cooperative… which leads us to our current situation."

"Tha-three weeks?"

"Yushima's making it look like there was a fire in your room, actually," confided Satsuma over his shoulder, changing lanes. "And we're heading for the Crier's to hide out for a bit while things quiet down."

"You're refugees?" asked Merin faintly.

"Us? Oh no, not at all. You may be for now, but that's going to change soon enough," Kurata said distractedly.

"We're taking Wizardmon with us?"

"You promised," Wizardmon accused, glaring at Merin intently.

"I-"

"Wizardmon has proven remarkably useful," said Kurata. Merin stared.

"He helped us monitor shifts at the hospital and plan a successful break-in. He also incapacitated a team of paramedics who were instructed to subdue me, _me_, with a perfectly timed intervention," Kurata continued somewhat indignantly. He was slouching over one of the windows and watching the buildings of Tokyo recede into the distance, but his voice was soft and cutting.

"So you're not afraid he'll turn on us?" asked Merin incredulously.

"I saved both your lives, repeatedly," Wizardmon reminded her with a sharp glance, but Kurata just shrugged.

"True," he conceded. "And besides, once you link him to your digivice you'll have all manner of control over him."

"My digivice…"

"You _do_ have it, don't you?" he raised his eyebrows.

"It was in my lab coat-" Merin said, running her hands over her pockets and coming up with nothing. "Oh!"

Wizardmon had extended a gloved hand with the purple device to Merin.

"I snatched it off of you before the paramedics carted you off," Wizardmon explained. "It seemed relevant to digivolving and I knew you'd keep your word." He paused expectantly.

"I-" Merin glanced from the indifferent Kurata to the attentive Wizardmon, still confused. "Very well, yes, I'll help you to digivolve. But I want continued loyalty towards Kurata and myself."

"Have I not proven my loyalty yet?"

"You have, but I don't want to help you become stronger only to have you lose control and wipe us out," Merin reasoned.

Wizardmon nodded somewhat grudgingly. "Yes, that follows."

They had turned onto a winding country road that led them high up a mountainside and the ambulance was bouncing its tires ragged over the rough gravel.

"We're nearly there," said Satsuma over his shoulder, turning into a long drive and whooshing past the bright autumnal forest on both sides. They pulled up to a large, sprawling country house that stood out of sight off the road. Had Satsuma not known where to pull off between the trees, they would have missed the house altogether.

Satsuma hopped out quickly and opened the back door for Merin, Kurata, and Wizardmon.

"The Criers have a couple guest rooms, but I've promised them you wouldn't be intruding for long," Sastsuma said pointedly. "I'll be back in a couple days once your preparations are complete, Kurata. Stay in touch."

"You're leaving?"

Satsuma shifted his eyes to Merin. "Yes, I need to continue organizing a branch of government to take care of accidental digimon sightings. Daimon's been sending us instructions via these-" he showed off his own digivice, which was red. "And do be sensitive – the Criers are grieving their lost child severely, especially after the attempted rescue."

And Satsuma climbed into the ambulance and drove off, leaving the trio standing before the vacant house.

"Well, who's up for some lunch?" asked Kurata brightly.

- - -

Merin and Wizardmon sat at the wide table, Kurata clanging with pans out of their line of view in the kitchen. Merin was taking in the spacious house's green-patterned wallpaper and comfortable recliners, the abandoned teddy bear in one corner and the colorful painting of a sailboat on the wall above Wizardmon, who was staring at her.

"I still don't understand," Merin confessed after she knew the silence couldn't be prolonged. In the kitchen, she heard pouring and the gas being switched on. "What did those doctors want with us? And how did you manage to get Kurata to work with you?"

Wizardmon weaved his gloved fingers together beneath his chin in an oddly thoughtful gesture of obliging Merin before he answered.

"I followed you two to the hospital. The other humans never saw me. But then the other human, Satsuma, apprehended me. He wanted to send me back to my world but after I enlightened him of your situation he decided he needed my help."

"Who were those doctors then?"

"The medics were from another faction of your government, as I understand it," he said quietly over the clanging pans. "Kurata was in some trouble for losing an entire team of officers in my world, but he had them down by the tips of his fingers soon enough after he woke up."

"But why did-"

"I'm getting there. Apparently his government was fighting over the situation and sent out paramedics to sedate him. Luckily I'd been watching outside his window when he woke up and began to put up a fight. I stopped the humans from administering their drugs and escorted your friend Kurata out of the hospital. He was squeamish at first but he quickly realized that my help was imperative to his survival."

Merin felt that Wizardmon was leaving things out but decided not to pry.

"You were kept in more security after Kurata escaped, but we managed to interrupt their schedule of medication by switching your room number with another. Your nurse sedated a feverish patient and you received his breakfast before Yushima managed to sneak you out. Yushima and Satsuma are working to contact my world again. I feel they shall be of use allied with compatible digimon themselves as they posses those digivices…" he trailed off contemplatively.

"So they wanted to keep us for experimentation?"

"Well, on you they were studying the effects of digital matter on the human body, or so I took things. Kurata got top notch treatment, as Yushima told me. He wasn't very well off for his first few days. But he worked very efficiently with me to rescue you after I secured his person."

"I see," said Merin, though she didn't.

At that moment Kurata walked in, balancing a stack of bowls topped with chopsticks on one arm and a large, steaming pan in the other.

"I hope you like dumplings," he said, deftly setting the table before them and ladling the food. Merin didn't take any time to realize how starving she really was. Three weeks without solid food was completely unacceptable, she decided, blissfully chewing as slowly as she could.

_- - - - - - - _

_- - - - - - - _

Thanks Rin Kaiser, my first reviewer. You made my week :)

_- - - - - - - _


	11. Chapter 11

_What do you get for pretending the danger's not real  
Meek and obedient you follow the leader  
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel  
What a surprise!  
A look of terminal shock in your eyes  
Now things are really what they seem  
No, this is no bad dream._

- - - - -

Part IV.2

- - - - -

The guest bedroom had a couch and a bed and a dresser and a wide curtained window with little else. The country night was quiet save for the creaking of the house and the occasional bat fluttering in the attic above.

Kurata had shown Merin the Criers' half-abandoned lab that day, and his improvements on Gizumon.

"Soon I'll manage an artificial evolution," he'd confided. "They won't be so easily defeated with the defensive mechanisms I've installed."

"What's that?" Merin had indicated a green-lit tube large enough to encase a human in a dark corner.

Kurata approached it and paused in a well-accustomed pose, hands resting comfortably in his pockets and a strangely fond expression crossing his face, glasses glimmering in the light. "That is Belphemon," he said, the corners of his mouth lifting faintly. "I'm going to send my improved Gizumon into the digital world and they'll collect digital matter for me. Live digital matter. I'm going to collect it to grow Belphemon _in vitro._"

Now, thinking back to the scientist's dazed expression, Merin placed the eerily complacent look as having a tinge of madness. It was late, and she had been reading Kurata's scrawled notes over Gizumon and its improvements, over growing Belphemon and capturing digital matter in its live state. Kurata had long gone to bed next door. She had heard him tossing and turning until past midnight and as she turned off the lamp she became aware of his voice, indistinguishable but clearly upset. Wondering why he was conducting a phone conversation so late at night, Merin rose.

Misuzu's lilac pajamas dragged on the floor as Merin tip-toed to Kurata's door, which was cracked open and dark. She paused, uncertain, and then plunged into the darkness, eyes slowly adapting.

Kurata was lying on his back beneath tangled sheets, fists clenched and skin glistening with a sheen of sweat. He was sleeping, but sleeping fitfully with bouts of muttered protests and periodic frowns crossing his face. The open window stirred his damp hair with a frigid breeze and had strewn the papers and his glasses haphazardly across the floor.

Merin picked these up and set them on the bedside table, carefully crossing the room to close the window. As she was turning to leave, she glanced at Kurata.

He seemed to be worsening. She moved to wake him, but suddenly he spoke.

"You can't! I'll kill you _all_ if I have to…" his eyelashes fluttered and Merin withdrew her hovering hand, frozen in fascination. Kurata winced and a shock of horror seemed to pass over his thin face.

"No, no, _please_!" he moaned, his back arching in some unknown agony. And very clearly then Merin caught the two dark fang-marks on the side of his jugular, standing out sharply against his pale skin.

"Kurata!" Merin shook his shoulders, too shocked to be subtle.

Kurata's eyes opened, wide and clouded with the vestiges of his nightmare. He snapped upright and stared straight through Merin, panting, before he registered her presence.

"You're here, you're safe," said Merin, gripping his shoulders tighter than was necessary.

Kurata considered this bit of information and seemed to relax his stiffened posture marginally. He cleared his throat.

"I-" he seemed surprised to hear his voice tinged with a hoarse note. "I hadn't meant to wake you."

"I slept three weeks straight," said Merin shortly, sitting down on the side of the bed next to Kurata. "I'm not particularly eager to do it again."

"Hmm."

"Have you been having recurring nightmares?"

"I-what makes you say that?"

"Oh, nothing much," said Merin irritably. "Just all the usual symptoms of chronic stress, overwork, fatigue, a sunny disposition… your jolting awake looking like you'd seen a ghost… or a Digimon, perhaps?"

Kurata averted his grey eyes.

"What's the deal with Wizardmon, anyway?" Merin continued impatiently. "Why can you work with him so specifically? And Belphemon, for that matter."

"Wizardmon," said Kurata slowly, reaching for his glasses, which Merin refused to hand him. He narrowed his eyes but laid his hand back down. "I remember Wizardmon saving us back in the digital world. And I looked up his DNA to find that he's very much compatible… with you. I knew the sooner I had you here to control him, the safer we'd be. Not to mention his assistance at the hospital."

"So you're admitting we can work together productively with Digimon?"

Kurata ran a hand wearily through his hair.

"I'm admitting that we may be forced to, and shouldn't exclude the possibility. You in particular."

"Ah, so we're going to run into the good and bad Digimon problem, aren't we?"

"Merin," Kurata sighed darkly before attempting to shrug off the question with a mask of indifference. "Well, perhaps."

"Don't you yawn, your pulse is still racing," Merin muttered, feeling Kurata's wrist. He jerked away his left arm reflexively, but also surrendered his front.

"Yes, well, if you must know, Belphemon is compatible with me."

"Oh, I figured that out before we'd even found him."

"You had?"

"Why else would you have desired to find him so badly? But Kurata, we're going to need to have a conversation on principle before long."

"Principles don't apply to science," Kurata smirked shakily. "None of that will matter soon anyway. You'll see when I demonstrate my latest Gizumon for you."

Merin considered Kurata's smug expression, a certain youthful innocence that veiled a haunted ambition, and stood.

"Coffee?"

"Let me."

"You think I'll burn it, don't you."

"I'm just being gracious," Kurata replied loftily.

- - -

When Wizardmon and the Criers descended to make use of their kitchen later that morning, the sun was crawling in cheery yellow beams across their granite countertops and formica table, where Merin sat with her head on her hands and hair sprawled and glinting in the sunlight next to Kurata, who was slouched against her shoulder with his own dozing head bowed and his hands cupped loosely around an empty coffee mug on the table.

"Good morning!" sang an excessively exuberant voice from the doorway. The Criers and Wizardmon rounded on their latest guests, while Merin jolted awake and Kurata yawned through sleep.

"I called last night but no one answered," the woman said smiling. She had warm hazel eyes and a voluminous mass of plaited chestnut hair that hung attractively around her face and over her forehead in full, long bangs. She was wearing a fluttering pink summer dress beneath a maroon coat. In her arms she held a bundle with chestnut-colored pigtails in pink ribbons.

"Sayuri!" exclaimed Misuzu, rushing to the newcomer, her own short-cropped dark hair and stick-thin figure as sharp a contrast as her tragic air to the warmth that Sayuri projected.

"I'm sorry to drop by like this," Sayuri laughed lightly, "But I haven't been out of the house in ages – little Chika just can't be left alone and Masaru's at that age, you know," she smiled sweetly again.

Misuzu took the baby girl, Chika, from Sayuri's arms and held her gingerly to her breast, closing her eyes a moment. "No problem, let me just get her a crib and all settled after your journey…"

The Criers retreated to fuss over a child they so desperately craved, and Sayuri let them out of the room with a sympathetic look on her face. Then she walked over to the table and sat down opposite Merin. Kurata was still dozing serenely with his head draped onto Merin's shoulder.

"Hello," Sayuri whispered, "You must be Merin! I'm Sayuri Daimon. My husband told me all about you." She glanced at Kurata's slumped form and broke out into another smile. "It's great that he's found someone like you. Suguru always does give him a hard time, but he's really great with the kids."

Merin frowned, took a moment to process what Sayuri was saying, and blushed.

"Oh, no, no, we're not-"

"Anyway, Suguru would always fall asleep at the kitchen table, too," Sayuri confided, "Always taking his work home with him…" she rose and Merin suddenly had an idea.

"Daimon claimed you could make the best fried eggs in the world, but I think I know someone here who can best you. Are you up for a challenge?"

"Of course!" Sayuri grinned. Just then, a blur of chestnut hair ran into the room, circled Sayuri's kneecaps, and perched next to Kurata with curious green eyes.

"Masaru, say hello to Merin!"

"Hi Merry!"

"Close enough," said Merin with a self-deprecating wave of her hand.

"Ka-ra-ta!" said the four-year-old Masaru, climbing onto Merin's lap and examining the scientist dozing next to her. Before either woman could so much as move, his stubby little fingers had wrapped tightly around a stray lock of wavy hair that had fallen over the dozing Kurata's forehead. With a big mischievous grin, Masaru yanked hard.

"Yaaah! Ah-oh!"

Kurata stumbled to his feet, bent over double and unsuccessful in disentangling the little fist clenching his hair.

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mean to wake you, did you Masaru?" said Sayuri with a note of amused disapproval. "Let go now, come on."

Carefully Kurata pried the four-year-old from his head, setting him on his mother's lap, and running a hand through his much-abused hair. Masaru was still clutching several brown hairs in his hand and smiling happily.

- - - -

"That was the best breakfast I've ever had," said Merin contentedly, scanning the data on the monitor before her, her face glazed an unnaturally pale blue in its scintillating light. She was wearing a new labcoat, one of Misuzu's, and had already splattered copper over one of the sleeves.

"Sayuri is a better cook than I thought," Kurata contended, kneeling to the floor to reconnect tubing and wires. "I think we need an influx of energy… yes."

He rose and dusted his labcoat.

"If you wish to obtain digital matter," Wizardmon began, but Merin interrupted him abruptly.

"Shhh! Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"I… don't know. I just- there! There it is again!"

Kurata glanced up from his microscope and said casually, "Oh, that would be the government search parties. Apparently someone's ratted us out."

"What do we do?"

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to resort to this..."

"Ah, I see," said Wizardmon.

"What?"

"Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe with Wizardmon and as soon as I settle things here-" Kurata paused, typing in some complicated sequence into his computer. Behind Merin, a large round structure began to make noise. Lights flickered on, green and yellow and then blue, one by one.

"Perfectly safe? You're not planning-" began Merin, but the sirens which had approached now drowned her out.

"They're not supposed to be here yet," said Kurata, turning his head in irritation as though offended. "I was sure we'd have at least a few more days to prepare." He pushed a switch back and tinkered with the knobs on the machine hooked up to the round portal.

"Kurata, I think something's happening!"

"Oh, yes, the government's coming to apprehend us, I know."

"No, I mean, something else."

"Hmm?" He was typing distractedly as Wizardmon and Merin stared at the tank in the corner.

"Belphemon's egg is moving!"

Kurata tore his gaze away from the portal and had approached Belphemon's tank in two strides.

The egg was trembling, vibrating, and suddenly a thin, hairline crack appeared on top. Merin heard Kurata inhale sharply over her shoulder. The crack widened, branched, and then crawled across the black and red shell, splitting it into fragments.

And then the door burst open with a bang and harsh red light flooded the Crier's warehouse-lab. Black-clad and masked figures ran inside, training long-barreled machine guns and ducking low. A loudspeaker echoed through the residence.

"Refugees! We've created a perimeter around the area. The Criers are safe from your influence, and we have you surrounded. Back away slowly with your hands on your head and assume a compliant position-"

The voice continued, but Kurata had let out a bark of violent, mercurial laughter, scoffing.

"Compliant position! Haha…"

He glanced through his half-lidded eyes and overcharged mirth at Merin and flicked his gaze for a brief moment toward the digital portal.

The black-clad government enforcers exchanged puzzled looks at the interruption, guns still raised, and shifted uncomfortably.

"Whose orders are you following?" he asked loudly, ducking down to unhook some device. In the tank, a ball of brown fur was becoming visible inside the cracked shell. Kurata pulled a lever and the liquid drained.

"We are not at liberty to disclose that information," said the voice on the loudspeaker blandly. "You have no particular rights as this is not your Director's jurisdiction, though I'd suggest you lie down unless you'd like to be shot at."

"Ah, I thought I recognized your voice, Franz," said Kurata. The tube was filling with smoke the portal behind Merin and Wizardmon was sparking actively now. "Franz Norstein, out to catch little old me… why, I'm flattered."

"I'll have your cooperation one way or another, Kurata," snapped the voice, and there was definitely a hint of menace beneath the coldness now. "I offered you all the resources money could buy and still you could not cure my daughter. Well, it's time to pay up. I can keep your friends indefinitely as terrorist suspects to ensure your compliance, _Professor_. Or have you forgotten the strings I can pull?"

Kurata's smug look slid off his face. The gunmen were narrowing their half-circle around them now, closing in. Merin pulled the switch behind her, and the digital gate flickered into existence in the empty ring behind her. At the same time, Kurata ducked beneath bulletfire that rained across the glass tank.

"Merin!" Wizardmon sprang up to her and pushed. Together, the scientist and Digimon careened into and through the digital portal to the sharp sound of breaking glass.

The bullets imbedded in the glass. Low on the floor, Kurata pushed a switch with his foot. The glass slid away, bullets and all, and the thick steam gushed out, floating suspended and creating a red-tinted, thick fog. The gunfire ceased immediately as the enforcers yelled in confusion and Franz Norstein's voice echoed.

"Don't let them escape! I want him alive!"

The doors were flung open and a helicopter descended, its landing clearing the fog. The enforcers were standing on a quantity of broken glass in an empty lab – the half-hatched egg, the scientists, and the portal had disappeared.

At the window of the helicopter, Franz readjusted his tight grip around the finely-polished crystal glass of scotch, knuckles whitening. "This isn't over, Kurata. I'll find you wherever you run."

- - -

A/N: So it's back to the colorful digital world for Kurata and Merin. I apologize for not updating for so long. After graduation June 7th, I will begin writing again. Until then I have a good supply of chapters that I'll continue to post. Do review, it makes me insanely happy, and that's conducive to writing more.


	12. Chapter 12

_A look of terminal shock in your eyes  
Now things are really what they seem  
No, this is no bad dream._

- - - - -

Part IV.3

- - - - -

It was noon, and the long, languorously swaying grass cast a green haze across the meadow. Flowers, bright, overlarge deep purple petals laced with amethyst, vivid yellow sparks of liquid sun that bounced sunny heads, pink tulip-like bowls veined with lilac and dabbed in dusky orange. There was no end to the color. The pollen floated up like an aurora, golden and glistening specks like so many reverse-falling snowflakes rising in swirls.

The grass was soft and pliant and the long, winding pool reflected through clear blue water and grey pebbles the snow-peaked mountain rising beyond the meadow. Deep, sapphire and grey precipices were distantly rimmed with ice that sparked in the midday sun. And the sun, the sun was comfortably warm. A spring sun.

Merin drank it in. This was paradise. She and Kurata were lying on their backs on the lush grass, gazing at the clear blue sky, the boulders hovering a distance away and at the clouds that passed by, flickering in and out of existence occasionally like some fleeting testament to teleportation of cotton.

"Did you know we'd land here?" Merin asked softly after their prolonged silence had let them calm their thoughts. Wizardmon and the remnants of the egg were down by the waterside after Wizardmon had muttered something about staying put and landmarks and wandered off.

"No," Kurata admitted to Merin's probing. "I had not expected Norstein was behind all this. I was paid to help cure his terminally ill daughter," he explained to Merin, "but the treatment I was considering was purely hypothetical and not very ethical at all. So I withdrew my bid."

"I thought science had no principles?"

"Well, I must draw the line at human mutation. It was a foolishly ambitious and unnecessary step. I was intrigued to research it, but as for practical application-well, that would be completely deranged."

"Foolishly ambitious and deranged? What changed your mind?"

"Well, there's nothing wrong with having ambition. There's no logical explanation. But it feels…"

"Wrong?"

"I suppose. Yes, very well, wrong. You must feel vindicated."

"Hardly. Although I'm relieved. I know that finding Belphemon that day, that left a mark. I'm just glad it didn't…"

"What?"

Kurata had turned onto his side, arm extended beneath his head and his other budging his glasses up.

"Well, that you didn't go mad. I mean, PTS is common with soldiers and all, but such an experience…" Merin stopped. "I'm sorry. I don't know… this all just feels so surreal. So dreamlike. This place, the digital world, can be so brutal and so beautiful. It puzzles me. How can a dream coexist with the nightmare we encountered before?"

Despite their forced exile, the uncertainty of their situation, the foes they'd made in both worlds, which both scientists were all aware of, Kurata's lip lifted. He sat half-way up, regarding Merin with a strange look, a yearning that bordered on a misty contentment.

"No, this is no bad dream," he said slowly. Merin sat up, too, plucking a golden flower and watching its pollen spiral up, specks of data dissolving.

"But what do we do now? Where can we go? We're lost, cut off, wanted and completely alo-mmmm."

Kurata had take the liberty of leaning across Merin's hand holding the flower, across the the golden pollen that brushed their faces on its journey skyward. The desperation of their situation which he'd suppressed in his speech seemed to burn, tendrils of flame that pulsed, in unacknowledged panic, translated instead to a passion and rapacity of action. Merin gasped into the kiss, flower falling from limp fingers.

When he raised his head to examine her through half-lidded eyes, face flushed and lips frowning complacently, Merin felt like a pinned specimen of some fascinating and exotic species, a rare treat up for dissection.

"You look surprised, my dear," he said with the subtlest trace of gloating. The sunlight caught his light hair, framing it with gold.

Merin glared and brought her hands to pull that smug face back to hers, wrenching through smirking lips.

She felt his lips curl with satisfaction as the glasses fell off to lie beside them in the grass.

- - - -

Down on the bank of the pool, Wizardmon tried humming to himself. The egg was laying dormant, tufts of brown fur peaking out between fragments of shell that still held together. Wizardmon suspected that Kurata's presence was somehow vital to the rebirth of Belphemon, but he wasn't about to go parading his theories to his preoccupied humans.

The meadow was deserted, and Wizardmon suspected he knew why. The pools, when seen from the correct angle, resembled footprints. Footprints of a creature large enough to carry a city on its back.

Wizardmon settled on the bank to think, considering his reflection. The egg twitched.

"You're overdue for a wakeup call, Belphemon," he said. "I could have used your council…"

"Who are you speaking to?"

Wizardmon glanced at the approaching humans. Merin's labcoat was askew and Kurata looked tousled and smug. Merin plopped down on the shore next to her partner while Kurata knelt next to the egg.

"Look," was all Wizardmon said, indicating the egg in front of Kurata.

It twitched again, and then the fragments fell apart completely to reveal two eyes that sparkled like garnets out of a fluffy brown furball with a lilac tail and a pair of sharp ears.

"Was I asleep for a long time?" it squeaked out.

Wizardmon had doubled over laughing.

"Have I missed you, Belphemon," he wheezed finally.

"I'm a long way from being Belphemon!" said the furball. "I'm Pheremon!"

"Like a pheromone?" asked Merin blankly.

Pheremon ignored her and looked at Kurata. "You roused me. How did you do it?"

"I-I fed you energy, raw energy," said Kurata, gathering himself under the intent stare of a furball.

"Professor Kurata rescued you," said Wizardmon smartly. "Your guardian Bakemon had betrayed you. He stole your energy to digivolve and intended to keep you asleep for good. But luckily for you these humans were passing by."

Pheremon looked at Kurata with a different gleam in his eyes. "Then I am in your debt, prof," he said, only a bit playfully. "And once I regain my strength I won't forget it. Now how about some food?"

"Are you all so mercurial?" Merin asked Wizardmon as Kurata carefully took Pheremon into his arms.

"He's only hatched," said Wizardmon, as though that explained everything. "We demo-I mean, we Digimon only regain our personalities in our higher forms. All eggs roll pretty much the same way is what I'm saying."

"Have you figured out where we are yet?"

"No, but I know who else has been here recently, and why no one is left now. Take a look at the landmarks."

"That's what you said before…" said Merin uncomprehendingly, looking around. But Kurata gestured toward the ponds of water.

"The lakes follow a pattern-" he said, surveying the landscape over his glasses. "Almost a trail."

"My human's brighter than yours!" said Pheremon. Wizardmon ignored him.

"I believe Eldoradimon's been through here."

"The Sacred City?" gasped Pheremon. Merin and Kurata exchanged puzzles glances.

"Eldoradimon carries our capital city on its back," explained Wizardmon shortly, "These shallow ponols are his footprints."

"The lack of Digimon around here also suggests that they hitched a ride," added Pheremon. "Now about that food!"

"We barely escaped into this world, so I'm afraid I didn't prepare provisions," Kurata admitted. "I hadn't planned the pursuit would begin so soon."

"Don't blame yourself for saving us," Merin glanced around. "Then I guess our best bet would be to follow the footprints and find that city? We don't seem to have the option of returning and allies and food are probably going to serve us well."

"Makes sense," said Wizardmon. "Judging by the length of the strides and their shape, we're going…" he extended his staff toward the mountain peaks.

"Why is everything in this world an uphill climb?" said Kurata wearily. Pheremon looked up at him from his arms.

"Don't worry, prof, I'll protect you. Whatever experiences you may have had, you're safe now that you saved me. Once I'm Belphemon, I repay my debts."

Wizardmon ignored the optimist and nudged Merin along. The two humans and their Digimon began the long trek through the meadows, Wizardmon detailing Pheremon on the events during his period of hibernation. All Merin understood was that a shift of power from some Demon Lords had occurred, and now the self-proclaimed King was ruling from the Server Tree. Feeling out of her depth and in some absurd and surreal world, which was true she reflected, Merin studied the rocks in the sky instead.

The sun set. The flowers of the meadow drifted closed, pollen vanishing from the air, and the green grass seemed to sway in waves as they crossed it, a sea of verdant green beneath a dusky orange and rapidly purpling sky.

"Thank god that pollen's finally gone." Kurata took in a lungful of air and exhaled.

"I think I can see the meadow ending up ahead-" said Merin, pausing.

"Yes, the rocky terrain begins there," Wizardmon confirmed.

"We should rest here for the night," said Kurata decisively. "Who knows what's lurking in those crags ahead."

Wizardmon considered Kurata but didn't argue. Merin posed the obvious question.

"We don't have supplies. How are we going to set up camp?"

"We're going to be resourceful," said Kurata. "Wizardmon, you're the native here."

But curiously enough it was Pheremon who thought of using the grass stalks as a make-shift tent, Pheremon who suggested they pile the grass in bundles for insulation and boil the pond water before drinking it.

"Not bad as far as resourcefulness goes," Wizardmon concluded, stretching his legs out toward the small campfire which he'd conjured with a bolt of electricity from his staff where tea was brewing. Merin had gathered what she believed to be chamomile and was boiling it in one of the huge shells they'd found on the bank.

"What are you doing?" asked Kurata, disinfecting several more shells with the flames.

Merin was kicking a patch of grass.

"I'm no botanist, but I do believe I just tripped over some onions," she said, holding up a muddy bulb.

It took maybe half an hour before they were ready: "French onion soup! Careful, it's hot."

After dinner and tea, Merin and Kurata ducked into their tent with Pheremon.

"Here, let me," said Merin, taking Kurata's labcoat and spreading it neatly over his pile of grass, her own ready.

She lay down atop her own labcoat and stared between the thick stalks of grass they'd used to build the tent at the starry sky outside.

"They have their own constellations," said Kurata, also lying down on the other side of the tent with Pheremon resting comfortably in the crook of his arm.

"We need to find our old camp," Merin whispered decisively. "Salvage our equipment. It's our only way back."

"There's a gate I opened at the Ice Ridge. If all else fails we'll make for it."

"Talk tomorrow," said Pheremon drowsily, "We need to sleep after hiking all day."

"Some of us were carried all day," said Kurata. "Oh, and Happy Birthday, Pheremon."

- - -

* * *

- - -

Optometrist tomorrow - getting new frames. Round ones, I think. Hehe.

o-o


	13. Chapter 13

_What do you get for pretending the danger's not real  
Meek and obedient you follow the leader  
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel  
What a surprise!  
__A look of terminal shock in your eyes  
Now things are really what they seem  
No, this is no bad dream._

- - - - -

Part IV.4

- - - - -

He was running, the fluttering white coat stained with dark, congealing blood. Running with his pulse beating in his ears, terror turning every breath to ice. All was darkness except the stone steps before him.

Suddenly torches flared to life on the walls, dark blue flames that cast eerie shadows dancing over the walls. He had to keep running, had to get away… where was he running?

Up ahead the narrow stone corridor opened up to a large chamber with stairs along the wall, a dais in the center of the room with a tall silhouette standing atop it, turning toward him.

Abruptly he stopped, paralyzed as the cruel blue eyes of the silhouette bored into him, a look arresting all movement. The silhouette shifted, the eyes glimmered and something glinted white as it stepped into the pale blue torchlight with ominously slow, silent footsteps. He felt the depths of those sinister, piercing blue eyes…

Kurata lurched out of his dream with a gasp, and opened his grey eyes to stare into a pair of blue.

"Get away!" he mouthed almost silently, throwing his arms up to shield his face and upsetting the sleeping Pheremon. But these blue eyes held only wariness and a hint of confusion.

"I didn't mean to startle you," said Wizardmon, frowning. "Merin went for a bath and sent me to pick up any of your laundry. And also to get rid of me, I think."

Beams of sunlight were slicing through the gaps in their grass-tent. Pheremon groaned from the floor.

"That's no way to treat your newly-hatched ally," he chided. Then he glanced back up at Kurata. "You okay, prof?"

"I-yes, fine," Kurata rose quickly and pulled out his labcoat pockets and socks, handing them to Wizardmon. "Thank you, Wizardmon, I'll do the rest myself."

Wizardmon glanced meaningfully at Pheremon and stepped out.

"You sure writhe a lot in your sleep," said Pheremon. "You sure that onion soup agreed with you?"

"It's nothing," said Kurata shortly. "Now, we need to consider weapons… and breakfast." He considered his fingernails instead, sitting on the grass bed. His fingers trembled very slightly so he put his hands in his pockets. "Shame you already hatched, Pheremon, or we could have made omelet."

- - - -

"Can I look now?" asked Wizardmon. He was sitting on the sunny bank with his steeple hat pulled over his eyes while Merin splashed the labcoats in the water. Her own clothes were drying out on the grass and she had borrowed Wizardmon's cape as a makeshift towel, much to his chagrin.

"No. Now go get the rest of Kurata's clothes and help him make breakfast. Please," she added as an afterthought.

Wizardmon walked away, muttering something about humans being so "high-maintenance."

Merin looked down into the water, which was clear and devoid of life. Across the meadow flowers were beginning to open and release what she suspected were stray particles of digital matter, data on the fly, which they'd taken for pollen.

"Environmental degradation never sounded so literal," she murmured, throwing the now-clean labcoats over the grass to dry and stepping back into her clothes, leaving the black dress-shirt open and unbuttoned over the grey t-shirt and hastily scrambling into her jeans and carrying her boot and socks. The grass was springy beneath her bare feet. Feeling clean and refreshed she walked back to their camp.

The tent had been disassembled and more tea was brewing on a fire.

"How does vegan omelet sound?" Kurata greeted her. He was kneeling over the fire with the wide shell as a frying pan where sliced onions were sizzling in some other herbs.

"That's a new one," said Merin, settling on the log they'd dragged over next to Kurata and helping herself to what served as a plate. "Thanks. I checked our lab coat pockets and between the two of us I found my pocketwatch and scalpel, our digivices, a pack of floss, a flashdrive and three pens."

"Not the arsenal we require," observed Kurata, offering the Digimon some fake omelet.

"I also checked the digivices and if we head just there-" she pointed toward the mountains at an angle, "we should approach the jungle that bordered Belphemon's ruins and our first, abandoned camp. I'm pretty sure we left a crate of oscillation devices behind."

They spent another lazy hour getting things together and embarked with the sun behind them toward the rocky ground of the mountains. The luxuriously swaying fields of grass ended abruptly and completely and verdant green was replaced by dull grey and dusty brown. The ground sloped upward, too, and they were forced to take frequent breaks. Pheremon had to keep talking to Kurata, who seemed on the verge of falling asleep on his feet.

"I think we're ready for a lunch break," said Merin, running a hand over her forehead to wipe away the film of sweat. Her dress shirt and labcoat she was carrying, while Kurata had pulled off his labcoat and turtleneck and walked along in the black t-shirt he had underneath. Pheremon was perched precariously on his shoulder, while Wizardmon trailed Merin, who had to keep referring to her digivice like a compass.

At Merin's words, met with assent from the rest of the group, Wizardmon pointed his staff up.

"See those purple things?" he asked. Merin and Kurata glanced up at the nearest tree. They had made it past the original rocky ground and the terrain resembled a jungle now, trees growing densely as they proceeded. Kidney-shaped and swollen ripe, fruit hung from the upper branches of the trees.

"Chia-fruit," Wizardmon explained. "Nutritious stuff. Catch." And with a flick a thin bolt of lightning severed the stem of one of the fruits. Pheremon jumped high off of Kurata's shoulder and caught it in his mouth, splattering himself with purple juice.

They were juicy and fresh and reminded Merin of minty, oversized and deformed grapes. The seeds wriggled and vibrated and had to be spit out immediately, though. After a much more filling lunch and with a few Chia-fruit tucked away for the future into pockets, wrapped in leaves, they proceeded.

"Nearly there now," Merin commented again. They'd been walking for hours and their muscles were protesting the two-day hike now, Merin limping slightly and Kurata slouching more than ever. Pheremon was drowsing in Kurata's arms. Kurata himself seemed to have faint circles beneath his eyes and Merin resolved to pry later.

"My shrine," said Pheremon, waking up. "There it is!"

"This looks familiar," said Wizardmon. They'd entered a clearing where, through the dense jungle up ahead the ruins were half-visible. Merin stared in confusion at her digivice.

"It must be faulty. It should be here…" she took another step and tripped over something poking out of the grass, reeling before she managed to catch her balance. "What the-?"

Overgrown with grass and half-buried, a tent pole protruded from the earth.

"Give me a hand with this," she said, and Kurata and Wizardmon tugged at several more poles. Out of the ground rose the large, military-standard black tent. Grass and dirt poured off the canvas roof, which towered over them.

Merin unzipped the half-rusted entrance and, with the light from her digivice, ducked inside. Wizardmon and the others followed, his staff serving as a better lightsource.

Everything was slightly squashed but in good shape. Three bunks, a computer, a safe and a power generator were unharmed.

"I do believe I can get this to work," said Kurata lightly, stooping to set the generator upright and fiddling with it. In moments it began to hum, then glow, and the computer screen flickered on. Password?

"Brilliant!" said Merin, typing in the password and accessing the safe, which clicked open immediately. From inside Wizardmon withdrew two round oscillation devices with red buttons.

"This one's busted," said Merin, throwing one aside. "But this could work!"

"Remember, we set them to the lab, so that's where they should take us. Now that the government has closed that floor, there may be cleaning staff to convert it to offices, but there's very little chance we'll encounter any real guards," said Kurata.

"Almost home!"

"I'd rather investigate the plight of Eldoradimon than return to your world," said Pheremon.

"We will, just on our own terms. With guns and Gizumon," said Kurata obligingly.

They exited the resurrected tent and stood in the weakening sunlight. Dusk was approaching, already tingeing the sky darker blue and coloring the sun orange. Kurata grasped the oscillation device in his hand.

"Ready?" asked Merin nervously. Kurata pressed his lips together but took Merin's hand in a reassuringly tight grip.

"What's going to happen?" asked Pheremon with interest.

"Watch," Wizardmon instructed.

And then Kurata activated the device and threw it in front of them, where it hovered before…

"Showtime, gentlemen!"

A brightly glowing portal appeared, shimmering with green and black in the fading sunlight of the digital world.

- - -

* * *

- - -

A/N: I apologize profusely for the break. I stopped writing this for a long time, I confess. I think I returned to it now and I can feel the arc beginning to wrap up, which is sad because I very rarely find it in me to finish fan fiction. This is my longest and most epic and carelessly written piece and I apologize for all that, but I'm having a hell of a time writing. I hope the reading isn't lagging behind in pleasure, that way.


	14. Chapter 14

_Nothing's gonna change my world…  
Images of broken light which  
dance before me like a million eyes  
That call me on and on across the universe_

- - - - -

Part V.1

- - - - -

The newly-converted offices were still leaking wires and sparking at inopportune moments. There were no windows in sight. The electric lights flickered over the fresh rows of cubicle partitions and the woman sweeping the wires into the corner gave a frustrated sigh and threw down the broom.

"Damn corporate as-huh?" she stopped suddenly when she heard another voice. Down the rows of cubicles, someone was singing.

"_Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup_-" came an unmistakably tenor voice. The young woman grasped a mop handle and tucked a strand of straight black hair behind her ear, creeping forward to investigate.

"_They slither while they pass, they slip away…_"

A man was sitting in a large winged armchair, spinning around lazily and giving a decent rendition of Across the Universe. His feet he draped over the keyboard of a computer, dress shoes gleaming, dress pants ironed smooth and checkered tan and brown polo-shirt immaculate.

The cleaning lady took all this in with suspicious dark brown eyes and didn't hesitate to interrupt.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The man didn't look surprised. Instead he looked her up and down, from her cowboy boots and faded jeans with green paint stains to her burgundy shirt and her powder-blue apron. He squinted at her nametag.

"Hello, Liander!" he said. "I'm Richard Glisse. I'm sure you've heard of me."

"No, actually. Do you have a reason to be in here? The offices aren't open yet."

"Well, I write for the Asahi Shimbun," said Richard Glisse with a dazzlingly white smile. His blue eyes were filled with confidence, his dark hair swept handsomely back. "As a journalist, I like to take initiative by exploring the new developments here. Rumor has it the government closed this place after an experiment gone wrong and now they've converted the floor to office space to hush it all up."

"How dramatic," said Liander dryly. "Now get out. You're not authorized to be here."

"Aw, come now, where's your curiosity?" Richard stood and took a few steps toward Liander, slapping her on the shoulder.

"Don't make me call security," she barked, swatting his hand away with her mop.

"Surely you didn't want to be a cleaning lady your whole life? Come on, live a little!"

"I'm a part-time assistant in the distribution of office space, not a bloody janitor!" Liander snarled. "And if the pay wasn't necessary for grad school I sure as hell would not be sweeping floors you pompous asshole! Now get OUT!"

"Touched a nerve?" asked Richard, ducking the mop's wooden handle which made for his perfectly combed head. "Okay! Geez, lady, calm down! I didn't know this place was authorized access only."

Liander glowered but stood back. "Then maybe you ought to learn to read before you pry for your little newspaper, Mr. Glisse. The door is _that_ way."

"Alright, I-" Richard stared transfixed at something behind Liander. "Oh, that is going to make a sensational front-page story…"

"What are you talking about?"

But Richard yanked Liander around by the arm until she stood facing a perfectly round circle of light, green and black swirling just above the floor.

"What the hell?"

"This must be what the government was covering up," said Richard excitedly. "A portal of some kind!"

They both noticed when a breeze stirred the office, cubicle walls swaying. And then, suddenly, a powerful gust swept the room, sending the cubicle divisions toppling and dragging them toward the gate.

"Hold on!" Richard shrieked, grasping Liander's ankles. Liander had grabbed on to her heavy cleaning cart, but with the journalist's weight it began to roll, gathering speed, toward the hole in their world.

"Oh f-" and the breath was swept out of them, and all was swirling darkness and strange, luminescent green symbols, flying past at nauseating speed, spinning, churning, until-

_Wham_.

They landed hard. Liander rolled just in time to avoid the cleaning cart, which fell out of the portal behind her onto the rocky earth. She glanced up – a wavy-haired man in a white labcoat was struggling to his feet, rubbing his side where Liander had nearly impaled him with a mop. Richard was sprawled atop another scientist who looked rather uncomfortable by the proximity. Her cleaning cart lay at her feet, broken, and she could see the sun setting just over the jungle. The jungle…

"Merin!" Kurata called desperately. "Quick, before it closes!"

He stretched out an arm as though he could keep the portal from closing like a pair of elevator doors, but the circle was shrinking, narrowing, until it disappeared as though it had never existed. An expression of fear crossed the scientist's face, before it was replaced with a closed-off irritation with which he turned on the newcomers.

"Oh, God, oh God, oh no…" Liander stood up and sat down onto her upended cart. "What's going on? Where are we? How the hell did we get here? Who are you?"

Kurata frowned with a mark of condescension but decided he couldn't ignore Liander.

"Relax, or you'll end up going further than you care into shock," he said slowly. "Look at me. Good girl. Now tell me the last thing you remember."

"Oh man, this is another dimension!" interrupted Richard, sitting up. "I knew it! I knew you scientists would be here! This is amazing, what a story!"

"Could you get off me?" groaned Merin, face still pressed into the dirt.

"Oh! I'm dreadfully sorry, but this is fantastic!" Richard gushed, climbing off of Merin, who rose and stood next to Kurata, glaring.

"Do you realize what you've done?" she asked, a hint of hysteria giving her voice an edge. "Do you realize you've effectively trapped us all here? You…"

"Merin, calm down," said Wizardmon, taking his partner's hands. "Let's hear them out and then condemn them."

"Yes," Merin sighed, "Yes, I'm sorry. You're right. I'm Merin Shiori, and this is Professor Kurata, and as you've guessed we are part of the team of scientists who created that portal you just went through."

"What's that thing, then?" asked Richard, pointing at Wizardmon.

"I'm Wizardmon."

"He's a Digimon," said Kurata in a bored voice, and proceeded to explain their predication. "And so, in oversimplified terms," he concluded, "We're stuck in this digital world until we find another portal or manage to get the materials to construct one."

"What exactly were you doing in the old labs, anyway?" asked Merin.

"I work part time cleaning up. It's an office floor now," Liander explained.

"Well, I wanted to write a story on you vanishing scientists – the government's been all hush-hush about it for ages, so I knew something was going on. I'm investigative reporter Richard Glisse."

"I've heard of you!" said Merin suddenly.

"Oh?" Richard looked pleased.

"Weren't you the journalist who was thrown out of Aperture Labs for prying?" asked Kurata with a gloating interest. "Yare, yare, how _embarrassing_."

"I-" Richard flushed unattractively.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Liander suddenly, and bent around over her cleaning cart.

"Hey prof, we should decide our course of action," Pheremon spoke up over Liander's retches.

"We're not going anywhere until the humans are brought under manageability," Wizardmon announced. Merin nodded.

"You," she told Richard, "Make yourself useful and see if you can find the tents buried here. And we'll try to find your friend some water."

Kurata stood back and observed, Pheremon on his shoulder, as Merin and Richard managed to erect another large tent. Wizardmon dove in and emerged with several backpacks.

"Excellent," Merin muttered, taking out one of the bottles of water from inside the heavily-packed provisions bag. "We've got some water and emergency food, as well as matches, and sleeping bags. I think there's a first aid kit, too. Here." She withdrew a water bottle and handed it to Liander, who was wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"No equipment?" Kurata mouthed to Merin, glancing up from studying the ground, hair falling across his forehead and framing his face.

She shook her head.

"Well, then, I think our plans can wait until morning," he said, and turned around, walking into the original tent.

"So we're stuck here?" asked Richard after watching Kurata leave.

"Can-can't you scientists make another one of those gates back?" said Liander, capping the water bottle.

"It's not that simple," said Merin wearily. "Now, you, Mr. Glisse-"

"Call me Richard!"

Merin ignored the wide smile. "You will be rooming in that tent for the night-" she pointed to the tent Kurata had entered, muttering quietly, "So he'll keep an eye on you."

"And Liander, I'll help you get settled. Wizardmon, we'll be right out."

Wizardmon lent Merin his staff, which glowed brightly in the dark tent while Merin set up the second reserve generator and the electric lanterns, pulling sleeping bags on top of the bunks and discovering stores of wire and more backpacks of provisions. She left Liander to change into the scrubs they were using for pajamas.

Outside, Wizardmon took back his staff from Merin's careful grasp. When she met his blue eyes with her darker grey, an understanding seemed to pass between them.

"It's taboo for a Digimon to give his weapon to another, isn't it?" Merin guessed.

"Perceptive of you. Yes…" Wizardmon glanced up at the brightening stars in the darkening sky.

"Is it dangerous for us to be here?"

"Every day is dangerous. We live on. This world isn't so different from your own." He shrugged.

"What do you believe we should be doing? You've been awfully passive for someone with an invested interest in gaining power."

Wizardmon might have smiled beneath his cowl, but it was hard to tell. "My power will come from you. Besides, I'm starting to get used to your company. Not that I shall ever take orders from humans, but… perhaps you aren't all bad."

"You sound like Kurata."

"Yes, he feels the same way about us. I can't blame him. But speaking of your friend," Wizardmon put a delicate emphasis on the word, "Have you noticed him acting differently?"

"Now that you mention it he has been quiet. I expected him to be terrified at the prospect of staying here another day but he's taken a weary attitude instead."

"Weary, that's a good way to put it," said Wizardmon. 'Tired. Haunted. I can feel it emanating off of him. I'm not sure how exactly, but it's as though he's twisting the digital matter, like a virus might…"

"Could it be a reaction of some kind?"

"You've suffered no such effects. No, Merin, I'm afraid it's something worse… but I'm not sure."

"What can I do for him?"

"I think we should leave it to Pheremon to help," said Wizardmon finally. "Meanwhile, to answer your first question, I believe we should follow Eldoradimon, our sacred city. He's heading to the infinite ice ridge anyway. That's where your spare portal resides. If we can't entreat Mercurimon for help, we'll fight or sneak through somehow."

"Wizardmon," began Merin, and hesitated. "I-you've just been such a good ally. And I don't know if I can live up to…well, I don't know how to help you to gain power. I don't know how to make you digivolve."

Wizardmon turned toward Merin and the digivice she was holding out toward him, wrapping his hand around hers so that she clutched the digivice.

"You'll figure it out when you need to. I didn't realize before, but when I was working with Kurata while you were asleep, I understood. There's no rushing these things. We're not just DNA-compatible. We're partners. And that means our strength must grow, not merely my power."

"You sound enlightened."

"Yes," Wizardmon gave a self-deprecating smile that Merin recognized beneath his high collar. "Yes, and now I'm going to observe Kurata and that fool of a human. I trust you can handle your bumbling human but I shall stop by later."

"Do you ever sleep, Wizardmon?" asked Merin, biting her lip guiltily.

"I sleep enough. I am in champion form and I maintain it easily because I was so used to maintaining my mega. Belphemon always liked his ultimate form best, too. He just hatched, though, so with time he'll regain his strength. It's merely faster your way."

"If you say so. Just be careful. I'm not sure I trust that human, and Kurata's not acting himself. Good night."

Wizardmon nodded at Merin and waved his staff at the other tent when she retreated. The side of the tent grew transparent in a circle where he'd gestured at, a one-way window through which he observed the men's tent. Richard and Kurata had already changed into the spare government-issue sweats and t-shirts to sleep, and Kurata was fiddling with his digivice in his sleeping bag, Pheremon at his feet, while Richard prodded the computer.

"Please don't _touch_ the sensitive scientific equipment," Kurata sniffed at Richard

"Man, this is just so amazing. How are you calm?"

"I'm going to sleep, Mr. Glisse. I am turning off the lights."

"A whole new world, unexplored. Just waiting to be exploited by us! We could start a colony, me and that pretty janitor and you scientists could build us everything we needed… can you build me a motorcycle?"

"I suggest you-"

"And the jungle and maybe there's gold or _oil_ to be found!"

"Quiet!" snapped Kurata in the dark. Wizardmon could see that he was sitting up against the metal bars of the bunk, leaning his head back with shoulders uneven and knees propped up inside the sleeping bag. "Either keep your inane chatter to yourself or sleep outside. Good night."

Glisse interpreted the tone of voice correctly and shut his mouth, which he'd opened to continue said inane chatter. Wizardmon watched Richard toss and turn for ten minutes restlessly until his energy dissipated. Kurata sat stiff and still against the bunk, staring ahead, while Pheremon snored in his lap.

"Sleeping like a baby," he murmured so softly that Wizardmon barely caught it, looking with an unusual tenderness down at Pheremon. Kurata stretched carefully, but didn't lie down. In the dark the shadows accentuated the bruised look of the dark circles beneath his eyes and made his high cheekbones look gaunt, tired grey eyes wide and glassy and a startling contrast in their innocence.

Wizardmon watched the sky all night, darken and lighten until a hint of grey tinged the horizon, creeping across and infecting the calm night with light, with grey and pink and lilac and orange until the colors blended and the sun, a saturated ball of citrus-colored light, filled the sky.

Kurata had begun to doze just before dawn, and while shortly after Merin rose to prepare breakfast and Liander and Richard slept in, Wizardmon, who was lighting their campfire over which Merin was warming the canned beans, mentioned the scientist to his partner.

"You should speak with him."

"Wizardmon, remember when you were working those three weeks I was gone following Vamdemon's attack?"

Wizardmon nodded, face grim.

"Well, do you recall Kurata drinking or eating anything before he slept?"

:"Now that you mention it, he did have a plastic bottle in his pocket. He'd carry it around and the jangling pills annoyed everyone at DATS that we were working with."

"A pill bottle? What did it say it was called, do you remember?"

"Diazepam something… Zaleplon, too…"

"Valium," said Merin abruptly. "And sedatives. How many did he take, do you remember?"

Wizardmon shrugged. "A handful or so. More as the weeks went on. He would work himself into the night, down a bunch of the white and blue pills and just sort of collapse. I thought humans slept that way until I saw the other DATS team members. Then I just didn't concern myself. But it's clearly getting worse."

"You're right. I just can't believe he'd be doing drugs like that without a good reason…"

"I'm beginning to suspect-" began Wizardmon, but at that moment the subject of their conversation emerged from his tent, fully dressed and with Pheremon on his shoulder.

"Good morning," said Kurata, taking the plateful of beans and fork Merin handed him and fiddling with them distastefully as he sat down beside her on a log.

"You're up early. Couldn't sleep?" asked Merin casually.

Kurata smiled fleetingly at her. He looked exhausted. "Early to rise… I can't recall. Anyway, we need to take a look at this equipment, see if it's possible to travel or oscillate a device from the wire-" he paused, "I mean, make an oscillating-" he frowned, "oscillationing-wait, no…"

Merin watched with increasing concern as Kurata rubbed his head with his hands, hair disheveled, looking absently around as though his articulation had solidified and jumped from his throat.

"Oh, have you seen my glasses?"

"They're on your forehead," said Pheremon helpfully. Kurata laughed lightly.

"Oh, haha, of course, yes. Well, Merin, I'll go find something to fix the what's-it accelerator and the iron, or was it copper? Well, some wire, and maybe a bite- I mean a slight, a slight conductor. Yes."

He wandered off back into his tent and Merin watched him waver at the entrance as if he was inclined to knock before ducking in. Wizardmon shook his head sadly.

"You humans need sleep. He's going to get worse if you don't convince him of that fact soon."

Merin sat down and sagged against the log, taking a spoonful of the beans Kurata had toyed with and not even tried.

* * *

A/N: Yes, that's right, a double update and new characters to boot! Richard is the personification of his name, Liander is a bit more human, and just wait 'til you meet... oh you'll see. I wonder why I'm so sadistic towards Kurata? Oh well, I enjoy making him suffer. Many would say he deserves such unwarranted treatment. It's certainly fun from this perspective, anyway.


	15. Chapter 15

_Encumbered forever by desire and ambition  
There's a hunger still unsatisfied  
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon  
Though down this road we've been so many times_

- - - - -

Part V.2

- - - - -

That day they remained at the camp, Richard and Liander growing accustomed to the talking Digimon and the new world while Kurata milled about absently constructing an oscillation device and Merin fiddled with wires and computers. Towards afternoon, when Liander and Richard would not stay put and Merin had asked Wizardmon to watch them, Merin heard a crackling sound behind her. She was sitting in the tent with Kurata, the computer not yielding any solutions.

"Merin, what did you use for conduction?" asked Kurata. Merin twisted around just in time to see the bundle of wires and microchips he'd created throw off several sparks and hiss violently.

"What are you doing? Is that _iron_?!"

"Why, yes, it is-"

"Get away from there!" Merin flung an empty bucket over the smoking wires. "You're going to set fire to this place!"

"Now, I think I know what I'm doing-" began Kurata reproachfully, but then the bucket was flung into the air with a bang and the sizzling wires fell apart beneath it.

"Huh?"

"Come on, there's too much smoke in here," Merin tugged Kurata out of the tent and left the flap open to waft out the acrid stench of burning metal and melting plastic. "We need a break anyway."

"I don't understand…" Kurata muttered. He was sitting low, slouching on the log, drawing on the dusty earth with a stick, gaze directed at the pebbles. "I connected everything correctly. It should have worked."

"There could be outside factors involved. The atmosphere," said Merin soothingly. "And you were using the wrong metal. Maybe you just need a nap to restore your mind a little."

"No!" said Kurata sharply, the twig snapping in his hand. "I mean, no, I don't think that's necessary. We just need a bit more time."

"Are you uncomfortable sleeping in the same tent with that Richard?" prodded Merin.

"How about in the same world as those crazy creatures," said Kurata. Pheremon frowned from near his feet.

"I just-" he broke off, fixed his glasses, fidgeted. "I keep having these _dreams_. These vivid dreams." He laughed self-deprecatingly. "Not as pleasant as it sounds."

"No," said Merin, prodding the dying embers of their fire. She elicited a lone curl of smoke. "Do you remember-?"

"Oh, yes. I'm always running through these winding corridors, and it's always dark. Blue tapirs on the walls, you know the eerie Halloween kind? Shadows dancing," he gestured humorlessly, and Pheremon perked up. "And these caverns sort of melding into stone walls."

"Sounds like our old home," said Pheremon suddenly.

"Very funny. We're being serious here."

"So am I! That sounds like the castle where the Seven Demon Lords resided. I'm one of them, you know. Back when we had rule of this part of the digital world, we could afford to live extravagantly. Our castle was carved into the mountainside, and the dungeons were lit with blue!"

"So what, I'm having visions of your old home?" asked Kurata tiredly, propping his face on his hands, elbows on his knees and fingers threaded.

"It's actually only a few days' journey from here," said Pheremon, "If these dreams are troubling you, we could check it out. Could be they're telling you something."

"Oh, spare me my prophetic visions," Kurata scoffed.

"When did these nightmares start, then?" Merin edged in.

"After we retrieved your egg," said Kurata to Pheremon. "Wizardmon left it in the research lab and when he got me out of the hospital a week later I put Pheremon into the accelerated growing tube at the Crier's lab. I was heavily sedated in the hospital so when they treated my anemia they inadvertently prevented any dreams."

"And now they've begun again?"

"I suppressed them for a few weeks with sleeping pills, but like I said earlier I hadn't expected Norstein to make a move, especially not so soon. So I couldn't exactly grab supplies. Don't have any on me now." He shrugged, turning out empty pockets with a wry twist of his lips.

"That doesn't help us get to the root of the problem," said Merin darkly.

"It's Vamdemon," said Pheremon suddenly. "I've heard you whisper his name the last few nights, just before you wake up. Didn't want to say anything at first, because you were so sweaty and looked scared so I just played along."

"I…" Kurata grimaced. "Yes, you're right Pheremon. I can't seem to escape those damn blue eyes."

Merin leaned forward and draped an arm around Kurata's shoulder.

"What happened with you and Vamdemon?" asked Pheremon.

"Vamdemon digivolved from Bakemon who was supposed to be looking after you but had kept you asleep instead," said Merin. "I'm afraid he managed to grow stronger thanks to me throwing your residual energy at him. Wizardmon saw this and saved me so I could help him digivolve. I agreed, of course. Kurata protected you from Vamdemon until Wizardmon got us all out," she concluded hastily, because Kurata was frowning at her.

"Oh," said Pheremon softly, jumping up into Kurata's lap and nestling in his labcoat. "You're the best, prof. Don't worry, we'll hunt Vamdemon down to the ends of the digital world if we have to."

"I don't think we'll need to," Merin muttered, laying her head on the scientist's shoulder, a stray curl tickling his ear. "He may prove to be right where he appears. But we'll deal with him yet."

"Do you hear yelling?" asked Pheremon after a silence. Something was crashing through the jungle near their camp. The trio didn't budge, sitting in their despondent position as it drew closer, until Liander and Richard burst out of the wild foliage, panting.

"Oh God, it was following us and talking and it wanted to _eat_ us!" shrieked Liander, running behind the campfire and grabbing a long stick. Her straight black hair was wild with leaves. Richard's shirt was partially torn, twigs embedded in it. He looked amused, though.

"Talking animals! There were frogs and peacocks and hybrid little rats. This place is amazing! A venus fly-trap that could outrun us! And the bugs! Oh!"

"Oh, the bugs!" echoed Liander with a different intonation.

Just then Wizardmon stepped out of the trees with a tad more grace.

"I apologize Merin," he said, bowing his head. "I just fell behind in the last minute when they panicked again." He looked frustrated from what little of him was visible. His voice was gruff.

"You did splendidly Wizardmon. They're alive and know some of their surroundings."

Liander gaped at how casually Kurata had dismissed their complaints. Richard grinned and plopped down next to Merin, patting her on the back.

"So, what's for lunch?" he asked brightly. "We going home yet?"

"We don't have the equipment to go home from here," said Merin, "So we're going to go on a little hike to investigate a possible lead. Why don't you two go change from those government clothes back into your own stuff and see what you can pack into your backpacks as far as sleeping gear goes. Leave provisions to me."

Wizardmon nodded. "Yes, go to your tents. We're leaving after lunch."

Kurata and Pheremon seemed relieved Merin had taken charge.

"Wizardmon, my partner's been dreaming of our old castle and Vamdemon," squeaked Pheremon.

"I knew it," Wizardmon replied somewhat cryptically. "I knew it was that little…" he broke off. "That filthy traitor Vamdemon. What do you remember about when we left you with Pheremon's egg that day?" asked Wizardmon. Kurata shrank back, expression closing off.

"It's important," Pheremon insisted.

"I-uh-I-don't remember anything. It's all black," said Kurata quickly. "I was holding Pheremon and then I tried to run and then I woke up in the hospital."

"Well, I think it was the Nightmare Wave," said Wizardmon bluntly.

Pheremon gasped. "No! I'll tear him apart for that!"

"What's the Nightmare Wave?" asked Merin blankly.

"A specialty of Vamdemon's. A trademark. It's like a mindworm, a telepathic influence he has over a mind and its subconscious state – particularly in sleep. Hence the name. Vamdemon can use it to drive his enemies mad, or to control them in their sleep-deprived state."

Kurata's already wide eyes had been growing at every word.

"Didn't have to sugarcoat it," snapped Merin, but her voice was scared. She took Kurata's cold hands in hers.

"Is there a way of getting rid of it then?"

"There's no known way," said Wizardmon quietly.

Kurata rose, tearing his hands from Merin's slack grasp, and walked into the tent, nearly bowling over Richard who emerged, looking confused.

"Lover's spat?" he winked at Merin. "Making up is the best part. Although I gotta say he looks a bit peaky there. Or maybe pasty would be the word. White as a sheet! Anyway, what's for lunch?"

Merin gestured to the canned beans silently, staring straight ahead. Pheremon hopped toward the tent flap, while Wizardmon settled next to Merin uncertainly.

"Talkative bunch, aren'tcha?" Richard commented through a mouthful of beans.

- - - -

They didn't head out that day. Pheremon watched Kurata pace the tent like some trapped animal until he descended into exhaustion, back and forth, dragging his feet into the night. Merin took an unwilling Richard and Liander out to a nearby stream to get water, bathe one by one and do laundry.

"Change of plans. We're heading out first thing tomorrow morning to take care of some business and you two are going to stay right here. No one's disturbed the camp yet so I don't think leaving you here with some provisions will be a problem. We'll be back in three days tops, and you need to know your way around," she said as firmly as she could, leading them to the river. "Now, if any digimon approach you, your first reaction should be-"

"Introduce ourselves!" said Richard.

"No, wrong. You flee. Run first and you won't be a threat to them. Wizardmon?"

"Humm? Oh, yes, absolutely," confirmed her distracted partner, staring into the water. "I don't see why we're waiting for tomorrow," he told Merin later. "Kurata's not getting any saner."

It was true – the scientist had remained in his tent, ignoring Merin's coaxing and promises of beans and canned peaches. Finally, Merin snapped at the nosey Richard to go find himself a new tent and told Liander to settle in on her own.

"I'm going to check on them," she told Wizardmon. "Stay the night and wake him up if we need to."

Thus after dinner, Merin and Wizardmon entered the tent gingerly. Pheremon was sitting on the end of the bunk. Kurata was slouching against the metal bars, shoulders uneven and head drooping low. He looked to be in a deep sleep.

"He only just fell asleep," said Pheremon quietly. Merin noticed a silver flask on the bunk but didn't comment.

"Well, let's get comfortable," said Wizardmon softly. "We've got a long night ahead of us."

* * *

A/N:

Umm, to state the obvious: next chapter is going to be dark. Darker than previous chapters. But hey, there was humor scattered through the last two, and a good dose of angst can be fun.

Also, I'm feeling lonely. Very lonely. I yearn for the companionship of reviews to comfort me. They can be empty reviews. I'm not particular. At all. I'm just starved for feedback, starved enough to offer cyber cookies or whatever their equivalent of coaxing any readers (hello out there!) would prefer. Ideas/crit/comments will be lovingly read! So how about it?

- - - -


	16. Chapter 16

_Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us  
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side  
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again  
Dragged by the force of some inner tide_

_At a higher altitude with flag unfurled  
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world_

- - - - -

Part V.3

- - - - -

The blue light danced over the stone floor, over the damp walls slick with some dark substance he tried not to brush against. There were spider webs, too, threads thicker than his finger that spanned the darker corners. The sticky grey strands glistened.

He walked on, footsteps echoing, but the corridor stretched onward. There were other halls branching off, but Kurata was drawn deeper into the castle, following the spiraling staircases and narrow corridors under a will not his own.

When he reached the now-familiar vast chamber, he startled a swarm of bats. They squealed and fluttered in a dark, spidery-winged mass toward the ceiling, and Kurata walked forward of his own volition, relieved to find the room empty.

There were columns in the dim light, trailing heavy and rusted chains, wound and splattered darkly. He averted his grey eyes and walked forward instead. A darker doorway rose before him, leading to a smaller room. Something compelled Kurata forward despite the chill that now permeated the air and the repulsion and fear that welled within him. His feet walked on, his eyes adapted, and he let out a noise of disgust. Before him rested an empty coffin, propped open invitingly and lined with dark velvet.

"Eugh-" he recoiled, left arm bent and raised before his face and right thrust back, jerking away quickly. This was short-lived, though, because Kurata backed straight into someone much taller, sprang back again and nearly upset the coffin with his elbows.

This time Vamdemon, cloak billowing without a breeze and blue eyes flashing, didn't just stare like in most of the previous dreams.

"Well, well, well. Look what the Gatomon dragged in." He curled a deep purple corner of his mouth and flicked his tongue subtly over a fang.

"This is just a dream," said Kurata shakily to himself. "You're no threat. N-none at all."

"Is that a challenge?" asked Vamdemon.

Kurata stumbled backward over the coffin, tripped, and landed elbows-first in a springy spider web which stuck fast to his shoes and sleeves. Tearing a jerky way up he managed to entrap his shoulders in the sticky mess, too.

Vamdemon cracked a grin, walking forward and staring with ill-disguised malice. He stopped and leaned down before Kurata, who blanched.

"Hmmm. Hear that?" he asked suddenly, blue eyes darting about.

Very faintly, on the edge of hearing, Kurata felt more than heard a voice calling his name, pleading he wake up.

"Aww, how nauseatingly sweet," snarled Vamdemon, "Dear Merin is trying to save you!" He extended a black-gloved hand and Kurata saw a single golden bloom laying there, practically luminescent in the darkness, warm and soft and vulnerable in the long fingers. Vamdemon made a fist and the crumpled petals fell to the floor in fragments.

Kurata was back in the meadow, leaning over Merin, brushing her hair back in the warm sunlight and golden data swirled around them, the green grass swaying. And Vamdemon was standing in the memory, smirking, staring hungrily through the sunlit paradise, corrupting it. A fog filled the memory, and they were back in the darkness of the crypt. Kurata was entrapped in the sticky web and Vamdemon's hand was pressing his chin up roughly so their gazes met.

"What are you doing to me?" asked Kurata hoarsely. "I demand that you get out of my head!" Vamdemon considered him appreciatively then, and once more Kurata was lost in those blue eyes. An image of Demidevimon flickered into focus, wringing Kurata from his feet, the wind whistling in his ears, foaming, gushing water roiling forcefully over rapids…

Kurata gulped the dungeon air in gasps when the memory retreated, knees suddenly watery and weak from the rush. Vamdemon's blue eyes leered at him, still too close for comfort.

"Now, where would be the fun in leaving you alone? Besides, I only recently realized you were still alive," Vamdemon sneered. "And let me congratulate you on surviving. I'm so _pleased_ you're here." He reached forward and tugged Kurata up by the lapels of his labcoat, brushing the spider web from his shoulders smoothly.

"What are you planning?" Kurata demanded. The commanding tone he wanted came out less confident than intended.

Vamdemon smiled, and dissolved, and Kurata was standing with his back to a cliff, terrified as Lynxmon stalked forward, crouched, and pounced with claws extended. The scene shifted, and the exploration team was walking through the ice ridge, cold and huddled and lost, and SaberLeomon's voice was echoing through the caverns, and then the huge Digimon appeared and gave chase, and the team of scientists scuttled like ants as SaberLeomon clawed at them and snarled threats, huge teeth clashing horribly.

Kurata was panting, Vamdemon still inches away with blue eyes cold and glimmering, staring into Kurata's dilated grey ones, glasses sliding down his sweaty nose. Kurata became aware that they were back in the dungeons and Vamdemon's hands were holding his elbows firmly, as much for support as for restraint. He was trembling faintly.

"Stop!" Kurata gasped between breaths. "Enough…"

"Aren't you enjoying your memories as much as I am?"

"What do you want?" asked Kurata desperately, feeling his arms tingling as Vamdemon's steely grip cut off his circulation. He wondered vaguely if he could die in this dream state.

"To toy with you, mostly," Vamdemon confided with a measure of patience, "Although I wouldn't be averse to a few gallons of human blood. A fair trade for your mind."

"My mind?"

"Your sanity, you sleep," Vamdemon shrugged elegantly, "The Nightmare Wave can be reversed, you know, by the one who cast it. It's simple, really."

"Why don't I just have my friends hunt you down instead?" Kurata ground out through clenched teeth, resisting another wave of nausea.

Vamdemon smirked dug his nails into Kurata's arms cruelly, and they were back in Belphemon's shrine, and one Vamdemon was methodically draining the life out of Kurata, who was turning pale and looked on the verge of swooning. The dream Kurata looked at his memory self in horror, still in the clutches of the present Vamdemon, who wrenched him around to watch himself.

"You're dying," the present Vamdemon whispered into Kurata's ear, one hand snaking up Kurata's arm and shoulder to pull the turtleneck down and graze the scarred neck with a thumb. He traced the bite-marks and circled them in a lazy caress as before them the memory Vamdemon's fangs found a better position in the scientist's neck. Kurata shuddered violently against Vamdemon, who laughed soft and low into his ear. When his chuckles died down they were back in the blue-lit castle, the vampire Digimon still holding Kurata in front of him, blue light dancing over the black cloak and white labcoat.

"So, dear Professor, if you're enjoying these memories as much as I am, I suppose I won't offer you a deal after all."

"Please…" wheezed Kurata when he could speak again. Vamdemon _tsk_'d, released Kurata, and took several steps back from the scientist, who immediately collapsed onto the stone dais where the coffin had been knocked from.

"I was going to offer to release your mind from my grasp for a couple gallons of human blood. You're resourceful – I'm sure you could obtain it for me. But I also wish to secure an alliance with the future Demon Lords who, despite my best efforts, it seems, are intent upon rising again."

"We'd sooner kill you than join you," Kurata said coldly, his composure returning at Vamdemon's distance.

"Now, I've never known you to be so unreasonable. Surely you realize that killing me wouldn't solve your little sleeping problem, Professor."

"I-I-" Kurata looked torn. Vamdemon chuckled once more.

"Think it over if insomnia strikes you. Come visit me here if you change your mind," he curled his lips to further expose his elongated fangs. Kurata felt the grip on his mind loosening, could hear Merin's panicked calls for him to wake up. Someone was shaking him, a long ways away.

A pair of blue eyes, dark lips, and a sardonically whispered "Sweet dreams!" …before he realized that someone really was shaking him.

And Merin's palm descended on his cheek with a loud smack.

"Ow! Merin!"

Then Merin was suffocating him with a hug and tears in her eyes and relief written across her face.

"You wouldn't wake up," said Pheremon worriedly.

Wizardmon was giving him a strange look.

"Oh, your eyes!" said Merin, her own darker grey widening. She dug in her labcoat pocket and flicked open a compact mirror. Kurata saw his light grey eyes, rimmed darkly with circles, held specks of deep, fading cerulean.

"Are you alright?" Merin brought her hand to his arm and Kurata felt the tenderness of his muscles where Vamdemon's hands had dug in from his dream.

"I think so," he patted Pheremon who'd hopped onto his lap. "Vamdemon said he could take the nightmares away."

"We only got your end of the conversation, but it sounded like there's a catch," said Merin. Her lip was swollen where she'd been biting it, and the front of her lab coat had been wrung into wrinkles by sweaty hands.

"He wants some sort of alliance. He mentioned the Demon Lords regaining power and his wish to join them, whatever that means. He also wanted blood."

"We tried to wake you up but you wouldn't react. Did Vamdemon attack you?" asked Wizardmon clinically.

"He was digging through my memories," said Kurata, obviously disconcerted. "I think he expects my self-preservation to bring me to him, contradictory though that may sound."

"And that's exactly what we're going to do," said Merin. "There's no reason to wait any longer. We'll find him and do whatever it takes to kick him out of your head."

"Not to ah, what's the term? Rain on your parade… but we've had company for a while now," said Wizardmon, who'd snuck over to the flap door of the tent and now tugged on it to reveal Richard and Liander leaning against the fabric, listening intently. They both colored but didn't back down.

"What are you doing?" asked Merin quietly.

"We deserve to know what's going on," said Liander rather righteously.

"You deserve nothing," said Wizardmon with a certain superiority. "Be grateful we're sharing our camp with you. You wouldn't have survived a day-"

"Now, now, relax," said Kurata smoothly. "Let's not overreact. Besides, we need someone to guard our camp while we're away."

"You're not leaving us behind!" interjected Richard. "We want a part in the adventure, too."

"Oh, you want adventure, do you?"

Merin didn't like the twisted smile on Kurata's face, but it was better than the expression of fear from moments prior.

"Very well," she said with some resignation. "I'll get everything ready with these two. Pheremon, Wizardmon, you know our route?"

Both digimon nodded, and Merin exited the tent with Richard and Liander to pack bags of provisions and sleeping gear for their trip. Outside the drizzle at night had left the mountainside dark and wet and muddy, and the jungle, usually teeming with life, was unnaturally quiet.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

- - - - -

Part V.4

- - - - -

"Can we have a snack now?"

"We just had lunch!" snapped Liander. "You've been complaining all day!"

"Conserve energy by keeping your mouth shut," advised Merin, and Kurata laughed dryly up ahead with Pheremon.

Richard, lagging behind to examine various flora and views, keeping up a stream of incessant and superficial chatter, had not stopped whining at every spare breath.

"But we've walked so long since then," Richard drawled. "And this place is perfect for a picnic!"

"Are you a grown man or a school girl?" asked Liander with some degree of exasperation. Above them something chirruped loudly.

The jungle had mostly ended, but vestiges of the tropical remained as they ascended the mountainside. Occasionally they came across footsteps that had filled with rainwater, becoming ponds and lakes. This way they kept Eldoradimon's trail, which coincided with the castle's direction almost too perfectly.

"Is anyone else unnerved by those squawks?" asked Liander as they proceeded up the sloping ground. The silence was only broken by loud parrot-calls that seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"Sounds like somebody's chicken to me," Richard simpered at his own pun. "Here, birdy birdy!" he whistled.

"Imbecile, are you trying to get us killed?" exploded Merin who, between shushing Richard and carrying part of Kurata's backpack load and shepherding the whole party up the slope, had reached the end of her line. "Just… be quiet, please."

They were approaching an oasis of jungle in the mountain terrain, where the ground sloped steeply upward after the trees ended. Lush greens and reds and violets intertwined in dense undergrowth and foliage.

"Merin, something's coming-" Wizardmon began, but at that precise moment his warning became obsolete. An immense, brightly-plumed bird burst from the mass of trees with a shrill cry.

"What is that?" exclaimed Liander, watching the gigantic feathered beast flap its wings aggressively, too stunned to react.

"That's Parrotmon, and he doesn't look happy," said Pheremon from Kurata's shoulder. Kurata had jumped behind Merin in surprise. "Don't worry, prof, we'll take care of this."

"He's an ultimate, a level above me," said Wizardmon, easing his staff higher. "Stand and fight if you won't let us pass!" he called clearly to the renegade bird.

Parrotmon didn't look inclined to speak. He squawked in what seemed to be fury and descended on the group, wings spread, metal armor gleaming, beak sharp and curved.

The humans scattered. Liander dove behind a boulder, saw that Richard was still staring, and tugged him with her. Merin moved quickly backwards behind another rocky ridge, and Kurata ducked into the undergrowth with Pheremon.

"Thunder Cloud!"

Wizardmon raised up his staff to conjure the attack, but Parrotmon's massive wings dispersed the storm before it could form, and sent Wizardmon stumbling backwards in a violent gust of wind.

The shifting symbols on the inside of Wizardmon's billowing cloak were thrust into relief, and then Wizardmon went flying backwards, clinging to his staff.

"Wizardmon!" cried Merin, running into the open and to her fallen partner.

Parrotmon turned to them, talons extended. "Bird Claw!" he squawked, swooping down.

"Merin, watch out!" exclaimed Kurata, jumping up and raising his hand helplessly, fingers splayed. And then his hand began to glow, very faintly, taking on a dark sapphire light.

"Your digivice!" said Pheremon, jumping forward from Kurata's shoulder.

As Merin dodged the sharp claws, Kurata withdrew his navy digivice with fumbling fingers. The device began to glow, grow warm, and Kurata ran his glowing hand over the top of it, a strange breeze ruffling his wavy hair. A burst of deep blue light emanated from the LCD screen and enveloped Pheremon.

"I'm digivolving!" Pheremon cried, voice changing, as his outline morphed in the bright light. "…to Phascomon!"

"Get rid of that overgrown parrot," directed Kurata. "Aim for the eyes."

Parrotmon glanced up from where he was battering the ground where Merin and Wizardmon had dodged from. Richard kept trying to get a better view and Liander nearly got hit with fragments of flying rock pulling him back under cover.

Phascomon emerged from the fading blue glow, a brown panda with sleepy eyes narrowed, lilac ears rounded, stubby red wings poking out and pearly horns on his head.

"Eucaly Claw!" he called, springing himself in the air off the trees, and swiped over Parrotmon's left eye, leaving gashes in the feathers and a slit across the iris itself which swelled immediately.

Parrotmon let out a pained squawk and flapped up, lopsided and half-blinded.

"Static Destroyer!"

A blue beam of crackling electricity shot out of Parrotmon's beak, but it was wide of the group, aim impaired.

"Thunder Blaster!"

Wizardmon, tattered around the edges, had finally mustered the strength to send his own attack hurling at Parrotmon who was out of reach for Phascomon. The bird swerved, received a beakful of electricity and retreated with a final squawk, angry and injured. The dust settled as the group watched Parrotmon fly off.

"That was sensational!" Richard beamed, rising from behind the rocks Liander had taken shelter in. "Absolutely movie-material! God I wish I had a camera!"

"Phascomon…" said Kurata, his weary expression giving way to a smug smile.

"You helped me digivolve, prof," said Phascomon just as contentedly, hopping into Kurata's arms.

"You're certainly bigger," he commented, pleased.

"What do we do when that thing comes back?" asked Liander nervously.

"We keep moving," Wizardmon replied. "Merin?"

"Let's go," Merin confirmed, furrowing her brow. In her pocket, her hand was clasped tightly around the dark purple digivice that hadn't done a thing.

* * *

A/N: End part V. Only two left, now.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: I wanted to thank any readers for reviews, and encourage feedback. Please review - it helps me find inspiration and think of new angles like nothing else. Anyone who's made it this far, I congratulate. It's been a long ride - a total of 141 pages written right now, which is not the most by standards, but has exceeded my expectations by far. So thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoy parts six and seven to come. Nearly finished writing, now...  
_

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- - - - -

Part VI.1

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"How about a pit stop?"

By now everyone was simply too tired to pay Richard any attention. Phascomon was sitting on Kurata's shoulder and everyone else was staring beneath their feet at the treacherous rocky ground, and so it was Phascomon who first caught sight of their destination.

"There it is-" he said. The group paused. Some distance higher up the mountain behind which the sun had recently set, framed by dusty lilac and pale grey-clouded sky, there stood the dark shape of a castle. It seemed to protrude sideways from the mountainside, turrets and towers jutting out at abrupt angles. A winding staircase ran, upsidedown, from higher up the mountain, and a footpath wound down conveniently towards them.

"Looks very Tim Burton-esque," mused Liander, breaking the silence.

"Home sweet home," Wizardmon said wryly.

"So what's our plan of attack?" asked Richard excitedly.

Merin cast him a confused glance. "We're not storming a fortress here. We're negotiating."

"How can we negotiate without-ah-"

"Bargaining chips?" Kurata filled in nonchalantly. Richard beamed.

"Yes. We need guns, and-"

"Do you have a gun?" asked Liander pointedly.

Richard deflated.

"Right," said Merin. "You two, don't talk, and keep behind us or our Digimon if anything happens."

Wizardmon led the grim procession up toward the castle as darkness fell, shadows elongating and weary feet dragging.

All at once as they stood at the open gates leading into the dark interior, the tapirs flared to life. They were blue, and they rimmed the walls, carved a path of eerie light into the dim interior, an icy welcome.

"That's it," said Kurata, face wan in the blue light. "The blue light."

"Ready?" asked Merin nervously.

Phascomon nuzzled Kurata and he seemed to resign himself. "Let's go."

"Hey, you think they have any normal food in there?" asked Richard brightly.

"Not unless that's a White Castle in disguise," Liander muttered. Kurata let out a bark of laughter.

"What's a White Castle?" enquired Phascomon as they trailed inside, Kurata ducking behind Merin who swallowed and accompanied Wizardmon at the front.

Their footsteps echoed. After what felt like a long corridor, they reached a large chamber with a high ceiling and bare stone walls and more doorways. Inverted staircases ran the length of the walls, and balustrades and balconies lined the higher floors at unnatural angles.

"Talk about demented architecture," said Liander. Her voice echoed. Something in the shadows stirred, and then emerged. An immense beast of a lion, fangs protruding and eyes gleaming, stepped forward toward them. The group took a reflexive step back.

"You humans will step no further," the creature growled, stalking forward.

"That's Saberleomon. He attacked our first expedition," Kurata said, tired eyes wide and hands grabbing Merin's sleeve.

"Aww, it's a talking kitty-" Richard took several steps forward before Liander unceremoniously yanked him back.

"Then let's take a few steps back," Wizardmon advised, and they tore off the way they had come.

"This is wrong!" Liander called over her shoulder between breaths as she sprinted, now at the head of the group and pulling Richard by the ear. The corridor was longer and narrower, and then it widened and descended in a wide staircase.

"Keep-going!" Merin retorted, and then Liander stopped very suddenly at the top of the staircase with a gasp. This was not a bright idea: Richard wheeled into her, and then Merin slammed into them and they tumbled down the stairs, Wizardmon, Phascomon and Kurata managing to stay upright.

"Ugh," groaned Liander, pushing Richard off of herself and rubbing her elbow. Merin had sprung back up and was looking around. Liander cast her gaze up, too. "Hey-what is this?"

They were standing in what was obviously a dungeon. Dark cells were barred with thick, rusting iron, and Liander approached one of these darkened nooks, intrigued by a pair of bright green eyes.

"A dungeon of sorts," Merin muttered to Kurata at the base of the stairs. He looked around suspiciously and replied in a low voice that didn't carry.

"Who are you?" asked Liander quietly, wrapping her hands around the bars. The green eyes brightened at her attention, and then a strange creature stepped up to the bars, red bandana and gloves tattered, purple ears and tail sagging, but its mouth uplifted in a ruthless smirk in spite of his despairing state.

"I'm Impmon."

"Are you alright?"

Impmon snickered. "Do I look alright to you, human? Now if you could get me outta here I could show you alright."

Liander frowned. "Why are you here? Who put you here?"

"You humans don't know anything, do you?"

"Ah, Impmon." Wizardmon had walked over and greeted Impmon with a strange inflection of familiarity in his voice.

"Wizardmon, you old bastard," sneered Impmon. "Vamdemon's made himself comfortable."

"What's SaberLeomon doing here?"

"Beats me. Let me out and I'll make it worth your while, though. I could eat a SaberLeomon."

"That would solve our problems," said Liander. "We should help him. He's all beat up."

"Tortured," muttered Wizardmon. "You're lucky we found you alive…" he whacked his staff against the lock on the door and it fell away, but the rust had caked on and the bars wouldn't budge.

"We need to move-" said Phascomon urgently. Footsteps were approaching.

"We'll come back for you," said Wizardmon, nudging Merin away from the staircase. The rest of the group followed, but Liander remained stubbornly behind.

"I'm not leaving you to die," she said, fiercely pulling the rusted metal, her palms coming off sore and rusty orange. "Come on!"

Impmon grunted with effort, and the footsteps drew closer. "You and I, human!" he shouted, and with a final shove the bars clacked loudly and came free.

"Now let's get outta here!" and they made off, panting, to catch up with the others.

A cold voice said "Hmmmm," behind them, and with the sweep of a cloak the figure was gone just as SaberLeomon came bounding down the stairs and after the humans.

* * *

_Ahead: a trap is sprung, and a digivolving isn't a cakewalk._


	19. Chapter 19

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Part VI.2

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"Oh!" said Liander, as Impmon grabbed her by the elbow and tugged forward to run faster. They had made it into another wide chamber, this one with columns and several levels of balconies running the walls but no doors or stairs to access them. Kurata stood and ran his long fingers over a huge chain that trailed around one of the columns, and stepped back.

"I remember this place-" he breathed. Merin took his cold hand and found a strategic refuge behind a column.

"No avoiding a confrontation now," sighed Wizardmon, also hiding. "Get out of sight," he directed at Liander and Richard. "Here we go."

Above them a shadow stirred on one of the higher balconies but they were staring too intently at the tunnel they'd emerged from to notice. SaberLeomon took his time approaching, knowing he had his prey cornered.

"Finally; to exterminate you humans as you do us," SaberLeomon snarled, pacing to the center of the room. The humans edged around their respective columns to stay out of the line of fire.

"What are you doing in our castle, SaberLeomon?" Wizardmon asked loftily, stepping forward. Compared to the beast he was small indeed. Merin leaned around and stepped to back him up, eyes wide.

SaberLeomon bared his already impressive fangs. "I don't have to answer to a fallen Demon Lord such as yourself. Where is your strength now? Groveling at human feet to retain a vestige of your old power?"

Wizardmon smirked. "Vamdemon been feeding you lines, SaberLeomon?" he asked mockingly. "I know you could never articulate yourself half so smoothly."

SaberLeomon leaned forward dangerously and roared in fury. "Die with your humans, then!" and he let out another snarl, fur standing on end. "_Infinity Arrow!_"

Needles shot from SaberLeomon's fur in a barrage, sharpened tips glinting. Wizardmon raised his staff defensively, jumping to protect Merin, but some of the attack penetrated, tearing his cloak, ripping through his hat and jumpsuit. Merin screamed in pain and collapsed to her knees, a long needle running through her arm and several narrowly missing her and tearing her labcoat.

"Merin!"

Kurata raced out into the open and to Merin's side as her entire sleeve became drenched in blood. Liander and Richard followed.

"Ah, lured you out!" SaberLeomon made a slow circle around them and pounced.

"Thunder Blaster!" cried Wizardmon, and SaberLeomon's wrath was averted momentarily.

"Wizardmon!" said Merin hoarsely, as Kurata tore her ruined labcoat to strips and tied a tourniquet around her arm. "Watch out!"

"Double Destroyer!" growled SaberLeomon, releasing a fireball from his mouth and straight at Wizardmon, who barely managed to dodge and left the floor scorched behind him.

"Eucaly Claw!" shouted Phascomon, but SaberLeomon swatted him aside like a fly. He hit the floor hard.

"I'll getcha! Badda-Boom!" Impmon propelled a small fireball from his gloved hands, but SaberLeomon raised his claw and swept it out of existence.

"Now watch your humans die!" SaberLeomon trained himself, ready to spring. Kurata's trembling fingers, stained with Merin's blood, began to glow faintly blue.

"You're all talk and no game!" cried Phascomon. "Come on, Prof!"

Kurata rose, taking in the rapidly paling Merin and SaberLeomon's threatening stance and his own partner. He pushed up his glasses deftly and, whipping out his digivice, ran his glowing hand over it.

"I won't be hounded by you any longer," he said coldly, and a burst of cerulean blue light enveloped Phascomon.

"_Porcupamon_!" the newly-digivolved Phascomon proclaimed his name.

"Oh, it's a teddy bear!" exclaimed Richard.

Porcupamon engaged SaberLeomon, but it was clear the latter was still much stronger. Even with Wizardmon and Impmon's combined efforts, SaberLeomon was wearing away at their defenses. Porcupamon stumbled back from a particularly vicious blow and Wizardmon raised his staff in preparation for an attack, only to have SaberLeomon's claw come down on him, cracking the golden sun-tipped staff in half and battering Wizardmon against a column. He landed motionless.

"Wizardmon!" Merin struggled to her feet and half-ran to her fallen partner, trailing blood. Tears were running down her cheeks, and she was grasping her digivice fiercely. "No! Digivolve! _Digivolve! _Now!"

Wizardmon wasn't stirring. Merin raised her eyes to SaberLeomon and then took her left hand and raised it to where the thick needle protruded from her right arm.

"No-!" cried Kurata, raising his arms.

But it was too late. She jerked viciously and the needle came loose and left her arm, which splattered Wizardmon with blood. "Wake up!" Merin yelled, voice rough. "Wake _up_!" And then her hand was enveloped in a dark glow.

"Oh, crap," said Impmon. The darkness spread from Merin's hand, leached around her and Wizardmon, and she ran her hand over her digivice, which glowed deep purple and then suddenly pulsed to black.

Wizardmon opened his eyes inside the black cloud, but they had turned scarlet.

"Yes!" hissed Merin, raising her arms, and Wizardmon began to grow. Wings sprouted from his cloak, and a mask covered his face. He was as large as Vamdemon now, black and crimson with gold-rimmed dark boots and gloves. His staff had turned into a trident.

"Phelesmon!" snarled the new Digimon, bursting from the dark shell of energy.

"This is all wrong!" shouted Porcupamon. "Wizardmon!"

Impmon took several steps back himself, shoving Liander further behind the column.

"What happened?" asked Liander. Merin's digivice was still pulsating dark light from beneath the congealing blood, although she was leaning against a column and Kurata had run up to her and forcefully rebound her arm. She seemed to be staring through him, eyes glazing.

"That's not Wizardmon's natural evolution," Impmon explained as Phelesmon stalked to SaberLeomon with a predatory look in his eyes. "Oi-cover your ears!"

"Demon's shout!" screeched Phelesmon, and his voice amplified until it filled the entire room, rattling the ceiling and sending dust and small pebbles cascading down. The humans covered their ears but it felt as though their eardrums were bursting. SaberLeomon roared in pain.

"Phelesmon, stop!" yelled Merin over the ringing in everyone's ears. Phelesmon turned around and gazed at her without recognition, then turned back to pummeling SaberLeomon, who matched him blow for blow. The castle shook around them.

"What's going to happen?" asked Liander, biting her lip hard. "Impmon?"

"Let's hope they wear themselves out," said Porcupamon grimly. It looked like a true enough statement. Both Phelesmon and SaberLeomon were landing enough blows to sufficiently weaken the other. Quite suddenly Phelesmon took wing, soaring around the balconies, senselessly destroying anything in his path. SaberLeomon followed him with his eyes, then deemed him no longer a threat.

"What are you doing? Phelesmon!" But he didn't respond and continued to send the stonework into disrepair around them.

"Enough!" called a new voice, and then, "Crimson Lightning!"

Phelesmon was thrown into the ground, toppling a heavy column along the way. He rose slowly, hate filling his unseeing red eyes.

Vamdemon jumped down from a higher balcony where he'd been observing the battle.

"SaberLeomon," he greeted. "You are not living up to your end of the deal."

SaberLeomon roared in frustration and swung himself back at Porcupamon, who couldn't dodge in time and slammed hard into a wall, shrinking back into Phascomon. "I want no more deals with you, Vamdemon! I want the humans dead!"

He rounded on Richard and Liander. Richard had been gaping at the proceedings and attempting to record the battle on his cell phone's camera, while Impmon stood protectively before Liander. Kurata was holding up Merin, who looked like she was far away, eyes still glazed in horror at what Wizardmon had become. None of the humans had the chance to move.

"Howling Crusher!" growled SaberLeomon, springing at them. Above them Phelesmon send his own attack down and, whether purposefully or not, smashed SaberLeomon aside. Together with Vamdemon, SaberLeomon rounded on Phelesmon and unleashed their attacks in rhythm.

Phelesmon was struck head-on and began to dissipate, layers of dark data melting from him until he'd shrunk into a tiny ball of black fluff and blue eyes.

Impmon jumped lithely into the air and caught him. "Botamon," he muttered. "Damn, that was a close one. You're lucky you're not a digiegg."

Botamon seemed more inclined to sleep than conversation.

"Run!" gasped Kurata, and Impmon grabbed Liander's elbow in his other hand, and she dragged Richard back toward the exit. They paused in the doorway, and froze.

Kurata was attempting to drag Merin, but she was not in any state to run.

"Is Wizardmon alright?" she asked weakly. Kurata gestured impatiently but then Merin swayed against him and he was forced to grab her shoulders for support. SaberLeomon, meanwhile, had raised his claw high above them, and was bringing it down. Phascomon stirred from the floor, but never made it in time. The claw descended with every intention of ripping the scientists to shreds…

And then a dark blur interceded before them, taking the brunt of the attack with a rough cry.

"You _traitor_!" exclaimed SaberLeomon, eyes flashing. "I should have known!"

Vamdemon straightened in front of Kurata and Merin, examining the frayed hem of his cloak where SaberLeomon's attack had fallen.

"You were not paid to attack the humans," Vamdemon said simply, eyes narrow behind his mask. "You were only supposed to trigger the danger response and help the Demon Lords digivolve. I did not hire you to dispose of potentially useful allies!"

SaberLeomon grimaced. "Humans as allies? You have debased yourself, Vamdemon. I shall leave you now, but rest assured when I encounter these humans again they will not live to tell the tale!"

And with that the beast walked off, gnashing his teeth threateningly at Liander and Richard as he walked past them.

"That's right, run you little pussycat!" Impmon yelled at his retreating back.

Vamdemon turned to survey the destruction of the castle and the pathetic state of the humans and Digimon that remained. A legion of Phantomon and Bakemon emerged from the upper balconies and floated down to surround the humans.

Kurata stepped back hastily, despite the fact that Vamdemon had just saved him. Vamdemon's blue eyes fell on Merin, who met his gaze with her own absent grey eyes and then swooned into Kurata's arms.

"Tsk, tsk," said Vamdemon softly, tearing his gaze from Merin's blood-soaked sleeve. "I suppose I should offer my guests some hospitality. Tea, perhaps. Will blood orange do?"

- - - -

* * *

_A/N: Finally we get to the enjoyable plot twists. Soon, all will be explained. Well, actually, not very soon. Explanations come in part VII. So hang in there, for about four chapters. They're short, though, if that's any consolation. _

_Please review! If you're reading I'd like to know - any advice, what you'd like to see, etc, would be brilliant, since I can probably still incorporate it.  
_


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